A richly illustrated new translation of essential selections from Vasari’s masterpiece about the artists of the Italian Renaissance

Giorgio Vasari’s seminal Lives of the Artists (1550/1568) set the foundation for art history. It established biography as a way to study artists and their work, while offering a sweeping narrative of creativity, rivalry, and genius. In this entirely new abridged and illustrated translation made for today’s readers, art historian and novelist Laura Morelli presents twenty-four of Vasari’s most important biographical portraits, including those of Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian.

This beautiful edition of Vasari’s Lives features introductions, annotations, a glossary of key terms, and an index. Each biography includes the engraved portrait of the artist found in Vasari’s original text, as well as beautiful color reproductions of some of the artist’s most iconic works of painting, sculpture, and architecture—more than 80 illustrations in all.

Part history, part storytelling, and part personal reflection, Vasari’s Lives offers an intimate look at the birth of modern art and the extraordinary individuals who made it happen. With its vibrant modern translation, colorful illustrations, and insightful commentary, this edition brings Vasari’s masterpiece to life like no other edition, allowing readers to step into the world of the Italian Renaissance.