Livesof poets and painters in the Renaissance

Abstract

Abstract The earliest Lives of artists have generally been considered to be the foundation for the study of artists and works of art from the early modern period since the establishment of art history as a discipline. Like the so-called ‘major monuments’ of the period — the Baptistery Doors in Florence or Cellini's Salt-Cellar (to name two problematic examples), memorized by countless art history students in introductory survey classes — these texts have acquired a quasi-iconic status. As objects of uncritical devotion, the biographies have been used in two ways. The chronology and content of the Lives have served as an outline to which the physical evidence, the works of art, have been pinned in an attempt to give a structured view of the artist's career. Further, the Lives have been used in an analysis of individual style. Here, the personal and practical details ofthe Lives have been appropriated to reconstruct the intention of the artist and the aims of his work.