The lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects

This book, written by Giorgio Vasari, is a series of artist biographies that chronicles the development of Italian art across three centuries.

It begins with Cimabue and Giotto, representing the infancy of art, and progresses through the youthful vigor of artists like Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Masaccio, to the mature period dominated by Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

Vasari’s work is notable for its historical trends, character sketches, and anecdotes that bring the artists and their works vividly to life.

The book was first published in 1550 and expanded in 1568, making it a foundational text in the field of art history.