Giorgio Vasari's teachers : sacred & profane art

407 Pages·2007·134.964 MB·English

by  Vasari, Giorgio, Cheney, Liana, Vasari, Giorgio

Giorgio Vasari’s Teachers
PETER LANG
New York ! Washington, D.C./Baltimore ! Bern
Frankfurt am Main ! Berlin ! Brussels ! Vienna ! Oxford
Giorgio Vasari’s Teachers

PETER LANG
New York ! Washington, D.C./Baltimore ! Bern
Frankfurt am Main ! Berlin ! Brussels ! Vienna ! Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cheney, Liana De Girolami.
Giorgio Vasari’s teachers: sacred and profane art / Liana De Girolami Cheney.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Vasari, Giorgio, 1511–1574—Criticism and interpretation.
2. Vasari, Giorgio, 1511–1574—Knowledge and learning.
3. Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.). I. Title.
ND623.V2C46 709.2—dc22 2006033677
ISBN 978-0-8204-8813-4

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data is available
on the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de/.

Cover design by Sophie Boorsch Appel
Cover art: Giorgio Vasari, St. Luke Painting the Virgin and Child

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.

© 2007 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
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www.peterlang.com

All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
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Printed in the United States of America
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Contents
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I. Maestri: Uomini docti
Giorgio Vasari’s Visual Teachers: The Ancient Painters . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Giorgio Vasari’s Literary Mentor: Dante Alighieri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Giorgio Vasari’s Philosophical Mentor: Marsilio Ficino. . . . . . . . . . . 48
Giorgio Vasari’s Political Mentor: Niccolò Machiavelli . . . . . . . . . . . 61
II. Art and Nature: Natura mutandis
Giorgio Vasari and the Maniera Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Giorgio Vasari’s Interpretation of Nature and Rebirth:
Ceres, Muse of Cultivation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Giorgio Vasari’s Ages of Life:The Seasons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Giorgio Vasari’s Avidity for Classical Quests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Giorgio Vasari’s Saint Luke and Minerva: Muses of Disegno. . . . . . . 127
III. Sacred Art: Biblical Virtues
Giorgio Vasari’s Judith:A Biblical Amazon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Giorgio Vasari’s Saint Jerome:A Biblical Icon of Diligence . . . . . . . 156
IV. Moral Virtues: Virtutis amore
Giorgio Vasari’s Patience:A Personification of Daily Tolerance . . . . 169
Giorgio Vasari’s Prudence: A Personification of Good Judgment. . . 177
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vi CONTENTS
V. Profane Art: Pagan Virtues
Giorgio Vasari’s Andromeda: A Tale of Love and Enchantment. . . . 187
Giorgio Vasari’s Calliope: Muse of Poetry and Music. . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Selected Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
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Illustrations
Unless otherwise indicated, illustrations of the works of Giorgio Vasari and
other artists are from my collection. I am grateful to the Ministero per i Beni
Culturali e Ambientale of Arezzo, Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice in
Italy; Cabinet des Dessins at the Musée du Louvre, The Collection F. Lugt,
Istitute Neerlandais, Bibliothèque Natonale in France; Museo del Prado in
Spain; Wallace Collection and the British Museum Library in England; the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia
Art Museum, the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and the National
Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and, in particular, Art Resource in New
York in USA for permitting me to have access to these images.
Introduction
1. Giorgio Vasari, Self-Portrait,1565–60, Casa Vasari, Arezzo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
I. Maestri: Uomini docti
Giorgio Vasari’s Visual Teachers: The Ancient Painters
2. Giorgio Vasari, Lazzaro Vasari,1542, ovato, Chamber of Fame,
Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
3. Giorgio Vasari, Zeuxis’ Story of Helen,1548, north wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
4. Giorgio Vasari, Zeuxis and Parrhasius,1548, east wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272
5. Giorgio Vasari, Protogenes’ Ialysus and his Dog,1548, west wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
6. Giorgio Vasari, Timanthes’ Sacrifice of Iphigenia,1548, west wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274
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viii LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS
7. Giorgio Vasari, Apelles’ Alexander and Campaspe,1548, west wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
8. Giorgio Vasari, Gyges’ Outlining his Shadow,1548, east wall,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276
9. Giorgio Vasari, Man Outlining his Shadow,1561–69, Sala Vasari,
Casa Vasari, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
10. Giorgio Vasari, Apelles’ Studio, 1561–69, Sala Vasari, Casa Vasari, Florence . .278
11. Giorgio Vasari, Drawing of Apelles’ Studio, 1561–69,
Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence,
(Courtesy: Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence) . .279
12. Giorgio Vasari, Apelles and the Cobbler, 1561–69, Sala Vasari,
Casa Vasari, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280
13. Giorgio Vasari, Apelles’ Studio and Apelles and the Cobbler, 1561–69,
Corner view, Sala Vasari, Casa Vasari, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
Giorgio Vasari’s Literary Mentor: Dante Alighieri
14. Coppo di Marcovaldo, Last Judgment,1300, Baptistery, Florence . . . . . . . . .282
15. Giorgio Vasari, Six Tuscan Poets, 1544, Minneapolis Institute of Arts,
Minneapolis (Courtesy: Minneapolis Institute of Arts,
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283
16. Giorgio Vasari, Last Judgment,1572–74, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence . . .284
17. Flower,8th Century, pavement, Santa Reparata, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
Giorgio Vasari’s Philosophical Mentor: Marsilio Ficino
18. Giorgio Vasari, Ceiling of the Chamber of Fortune, 1548,
Chamber of Fortune, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286
19. Albrecht Dürer, Celestial Map,1515, British Library, London,
(Courtesy: British Library, London) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
20. Farnese Globe,second century, Museo Archeologico, Naples . . . . . . . . . . . . .288
21. Zodiac Signs,9th century, pavement, Baptistery, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289
22. Vincenzo Cartari, Chart of Gods and Planets,woodcutin
Imagini delli Dei degl’Antichi(Venice: Marcolini, 1556) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290
Giorgio Vasari’s Political Mentor: Niccolò Machiavelli
23. Giorgio Vasari, Portrait of Duke Alexander de’ Medici,1534,
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence (Courtesy: Art Resource, NY) . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
24. Francesco Melchiori, Dii melius (The Best)impresa,
Jacopo Gelli,Divisi, Motti e Imprese (Rome: Antonio Blado 1534) . . . . . . . .292
25. Antonio Borghesi, Idem et Alter(The Same and Another), impresa,
Jacopo Gelli,Divisi, Motti e Imprese (Rome: Antonio Blado 1534) . . . . . . . .292
26. Andrea Alciato, Ex bello pax (Peace from War)Emblem 178,
Emblemata(Lyon: Roville-Bonhomme, 1549) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293
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List of Illustrations ix
II. Art and Nature: Natura mutandis
Giorgio Vasari and the Maniera Style
27. Rosso Fiorentino, Dead Christ,1540, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(Courtesy: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
28. Giorgio Vasari, Toilette of Venus,1558, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart
(Courtesy: Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295
29. Giorgio Vasari, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child,1560
Chapel of the Artists, Santissima Annunziata, Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296
30. Giorgio Vasari, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child, 1560, drawing.
Museo del Prado, Madrid (Courtesy: Museo del Prado, Madrid) . . . . . . . . . .297
Giorgio Vasari’s Interpretation of Nature and Rebirth:
Ceres, Muse of Cultivation
31. Giorgio Vasari, The Chariot of Ceres,1548–1550, Corridor of Ceres,
Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298
32. Vincenzo Cartari, Ceres,woodcutinImagini delli Dei degl’Antichi
(Venice: Marcolini, 1556) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299
33. Giorgio Vasari, Ceres of Palazzo Altoviti, 1551–1553,
Palazzo Venezia, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300
Giorgio Vasari’s Ages of Life:The Seasons
34. Giorgio Vasari, Youth (Summer), Childhood (Spring), Old Age (Winter)
andAdulthood (Autumn), 1548, Ceiling of the Chamber of Fortune,
center, Casa Vasari, Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
35. Anulus Barptolomäus, Aeterna Hominum Natura(Eternal Human Nature)
Emblem, Pictura Poesis(Lyon: Roville-Bonhomme, 1552) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302
36. Andrea Alciato, In quatour anni tempora(The Four Seasons),
Emblem 101, Emblemata(Lyon: Roville-Bonhomme, 1549) . . . . . . . . . . . .303
37. Andrea Alciato, In iuventam (On Youth) Emblem 100,
Emblemata(Lyon: Roville-Bonhomme, 1549) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
38. Andrea Alciato, Ars naturam adviunas(Art Helps Nature),
Emblem 99, Emblemata(Lyon, Roville-Bonhomme, 1549) . . . . . . . . . . . . .304
Giorgio Vasari’s Avidity for Classical Quests
39. Apollonious of Athens, Torso Belvedere,1st century BCE,
Musei Vaticani, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305
40. Giorgio Vasari, Portrait of Pisano,1568, woodcut in Vite
(Florence: La Giuntina, 1568) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306
41. Giorgio Vasari, Portrait of De Rossi,1568, woodcut in Vite
(Florence: La Giuntina, 1568) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307