Vasari's Vision of the History of Painting: Frescoes in the Casa Vasari, Florence

Abstract

The fresco cycle in the Sala delle Arti, Casa Vasari, Florence, gives visual form to Giorgio Vasari's view of the history of art. Composed of three istorie, fifteen medallions bearing portraits of Renaissance artists, personifications, and a variety of decorative elements, the frescoes illustrate the birth, growth, and, finally, the perfection of art that Vasari describes in the Vite. Vasari presents the progression of painting from its origins in disegno to its development during the classical era in the art of Apelles, while stressing the superiority of the masters of the Renaissance.