Early Life and Training

Giorgio Vasari, a renowned Italian painter, architect, writer, and historian, was born on July 30, 1511, in Arezzo, Tuscany. He began his artistic journey as a pupil of Guglielmo da Marsiglia, a skilled painter of stained glass. At the age of sixteen, Vasari joined the circle of Andrea del Sarto and his pupils, Rosso Fiorentino and Jacopo Pontormo, in Florence.

Artistic Career

Vasari's own Mannerist paintings were highly admired during his lifetime. In 1529, he visited Rome, where he studied the works of Raphael and other artists of the Roman High Renaissance. Some of his notable works include:

• The Studio of the Painter (fresco, 1548), housed in Casa Vasari, Arezzo, Italy (View on WahooArt)
• The Last Judgement (fresco, 1572), in the cupola of the Florence Cathedral
• The Adoration of the Magi (oil painting, 1566), in the church of Santa Croce, Florence (More on WahooArt)

Architectural Contributions

Vasari's architectural achievements include:

• The Loggia of the Palazzo degli Uffizi, Florence, which functions as a public piazza
• The Vasari Corridor, connecting the Uffizi with the Palazzo Pitti in Florence (Explore on WahooArt)
• The renovation of medieval churches, such as Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce

Legacy

Vasari is often called "the first art historian" due to his book Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, which remains a foundational text in art-historical writing. He died on June 27, 1574, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, at the age of 62. Discover more about Giorgio Vasari's life and work on WahooArt: Giorgio Vasari | 72 Artworks