"In the natural course of events, many people are born with various striking qualities and talents. But from time to time, in a way that transcends nature, God bestows upon a single person such marvelous and abundant beauty, grace, and talent that this person leaves others far behind, all their actions seem inspired by God, in fact everything they do comes directly from God rather than human skill. Everyone agreed that what I said applied to Leonardo da Vinci..."

When Giorgio Vasari published the life stories of the prominent artists of the Italian Renaissance, he also laid the foundations of the discipline of art history. Vasari's biographical method pioneered and modeled art historical writing for centuries. This comprehensive selection from "Lives of the Artists," first published in the 16th century and considered the first book on art history, tells the birth and development of the Renaissance through the lives and works of the leading artists of the period. Vasari, ranging from Cimabue and Giotto to perspective theorists like Alberti and great masters like Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo, who represent the pinnacle of Renaissance art, provides not only interesting anecdotes about the artists but also extremely detailed information about their works.

A colorful journey into the past, reaching cities like Florence, Rome, and Venice that witnessed the Italian Renaissance, the secrets of architectural and pictorial masterpieces, the world of the Medici family, and the inspirations of artists...
(From the Promotional Bulletin)