Giorgio Vasari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giorgio Vasari
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| Born | 30 July 1511 Arezzo, Republic of Florence
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| Died | 27 June 1574 (aged 62) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Education | Andrea del Sarto |
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Notable work
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Biographies of Italian artists |
| Movement | Renaissance |
Giorgio Vasari (born July 30, 1511 – died June 27, 1574) was a very talented Italian artist during the Renaissance period. He was a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian. Vasari is most famous for his book, The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. This book is seen as the start of art history writing. It tells the life stories of many famous Renaissance artists, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Vasari also designed the Tomb of Michelangelo in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. This tomb was finished in 1578. Vasari's writings helped spread the idea of a "rebirth" in art, which he called rinascita. Later, the French word Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was used to describe this amazing time of cultural change.
Contents
Life of Giorgio Vasari
Vasari was born on July 30, 1511, in Arezzo, Tuscany. When he was young, his cousin Luca Signorelli suggested he become a student of Guglielmo da Marsiglia, who was good at painting stained glass.
At age sixteen, Vasari moved to Florence. There, he joined the group of artists around Andrea del Sarto and his students, Rosso Fiorentino and Jacopo Pontormo. He also became friends with Michelangelo, whose painting style influenced Vasari's own work. Vasari passed away in Florence on June 27, 1574, when he was 62 years old.
Vasari's Paintings
In 1529, Vasari went to Rome. He studied the artworks of Raphael and other artists from the High Renaissance period. Vasari's own paintings are in a style called Mannerism. This style was very popular when he was alive.
In 1547, he finished painting the hall of the chancery in the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome. These paintings are known as the Sala dei Cento Giorni. The powerful Medici family in Florence and Rome often hired Vasari for work. He also worked in Naples, Arezzo, and other cities.
Many of his paintings can still be seen today. Some of his most important works are on the walls and ceiling of the Sala di Cosimo I in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. He and his helpers worked there starting in 1555. Vasari also helped decorate the Studiolo of Francesco I, which is now in the Palazzo Vecchio.
In Rome, he painted frescoes in the Sala Regia. Some of his well-known students included Sebastiano Flori and Bartolomeo Carducci.
His last big painting job was a huge fresco called The Last Judgement. He started it in 1572 on the ceiling of the cupola (dome) of the Florence Cathedral. He had help from another painter, Lorenzo Sabatini. Vasari died before it was finished, so Federico Zuccari completed it.
Vasari's Architecture
Besides being a painter, Vasari was also a successful architect. He designed the loggia (a covered walkway with open arches) of the Palazzo degli Uffizi in Florence, next to the Arno River. This design created a beautiful view and a public space. It's special because it looks like a short street with all the buildings designed in the same style.
In Florence, Vasari also built a long, enclosed walkway called the Vasari Corridor. This corridor connects the Uffizi with the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the river. It goes along the Arno River on arches and crosses the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
He also updated the medieval churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. He changed parts of these churches to fit the Mannerist style of his time. In Santa Croce, he painted The Adoration of the Magi. This painting was ordered by Pope Pius V in 1566.
In 1562, Vasari built the eight-sided dome on the Basilica of Our Lady of Humility in Pistoia. This is a great example of High Renaissance architecture. In Rome, Vasari worked with other architects on Pope Julius III's Villa Giulia.
The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
Vasari is often called "the first art historian." He created a new type of book: an encyclopedia of artists' life stories. His book, Le Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori (Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects), was first published in 1550.
Vasari was the first to use the Italian word "Rinascita" (meaning rebirth) in print. He used it to describe the change in art styles, starting with the artist Giotto. This term later became the French word Renaissance, which we use today for that historical period. Vasari also helped create the modern use of the term Gothic art. He used the word Goth to describe the older German style of art, which he saw as "barbaric" compared to the new "rebirth" style.
The Lives also included details about the art techniques used by artists. The book was updated and made bigger in 1568. This new edition included woodcut portraits (pictures carved in wood) of the artists.
Vasari's book often favored artists from Florence. He tended to give them credit for many new ideas in Renaissance art, like the invention of engraving. Art from Venice and other parts of Europe was often ignored in the first edition. In the second edition, Vasari did give more attention to Venetian art, including Titian, but still showed a preference for Florentine artists.
There are some mistakes in his Lives. For example, Vasari wrote that Andrea del Castagno killed Domenico Veneziano, but this was not true. Andrea actually died several years after Domenico. Also, in his biography of Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, Vasari called him "Il Soddoma" and wrote that he was immoral. However, Bazzi was a respected artist who received important jobs.
Vasari's biographies include many interesting stories and gossip. Some of these stories are true, while others might be made up. For example, he tells a story about young Giotto painting a fly on a painting by Cimabue. The older master supposedly tried to brush the fly away many times. Vasari didn't check old records for exact dates like modern historians do. So, his stories are most reliable for artists who lived around his time or just before him. Modern research has corrected many of his dates and facts.
Vasari included a short story about his own life at the end of the Lives. He also added more details about himself and his family in the lives of Lazzaro Vasari and Francesco Salviati.
Vasari was one of the first writers to use the word "competition" (or "concorrenza" in Italian) in a business sense. He believed that Florentine artists were so good because they were always competing for jobs. This competition, he said, helped them stay creative and hungry for success.
Vasari's Social Standing
Vasari was very well-known and respected during his life. He earned a lot of money. He married Niccolosa Bacci, who came from a rich family in Arezzo. The Pope even made him a Knight of the Golden Spur. He was also chosen to be part of his hometown's government.
In 1547, he built a beautiful house in Arezzo and decorated it with his own paintings. This house is now a museum called the Casa Vasari. His home in Florence is also still preserved.
In 1563, Vasari helped start the Florentine Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno. This was an important art academy, with the Grand Duke and Michelangelo as its leaders. Thirty-six artists were chosen to be members.
Gallery
- Paintings by Giorgio Vasari
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Alessandro de Medici resting
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Pieta
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Bird catchers
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Holy Family, with Andrea del Sarto
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Last Supper
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Entombment
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Temptations of St. Jerome
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St. Luke painting the Virgin
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Annunciation
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Justice
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The Prophet Elisha
- Frescos and decorations by Giorgio Vasari
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Interior of the dome of Florence Cathedral
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Cosimo studies the taking of Siena.
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Defeat of the Venetians in Casentino
- Libro de' Disegni by Giorgio Vasari
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Giorgio Vasari with drawings by Filippino Lippi, Botticelli, and Raffaellino del Garbo
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Giorgio Vasari with drawings by Filippino Lippi, Botticelli, and Raffaellino del Garbo
- Architecture by Giorgio Vasari
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Uffizi colonnade and loggia
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Loggia of Vasari in Arezzo
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Pietro in Montorio, Rome
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Tomb of Michelangelo
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Sala dei Cento Giorni - Giorgio Vasari - 1547 - Palazzo della Cancelleria
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Villa Giulia - Court - Vasari - Vignola
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Part of Loggia del Mercato Vecchio, Florence, just prior to its demolition in the 1880s
See also
In Spanish: Giorgio Vasari para niños
