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Michelangelo, Da Vinci,
Tintoretto, Raphael, Giotto... |
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On Michelangelo's David: "The grace of this figure and the serenity of its pose have never been surpassed, nor have the feet, the hands, and the head, whose harmonious proportions and loveliness are in keeping with the rest. To be sure, anyone who has seen Michelangelo's David has no need to see anything else by any other sculptor, living or dead." |
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On Da Vinci: "I must mention another habit of Leonardo's; he was always fascinated when he saw a man of striking appearance, with a strange head of hair or beard; and anyone who attracted him he would follow about all day long and end up seeing him so clearly in his mind's eye that when he got home he could draw him as if he were standing there in the flesh." |
| "The example of so many able men and all the various details of all kinds collected by my labours in this book will be no little help to practising artists as well as pleasing all those who follow and delight in the arts." -Vasari |
| (AGLIONBY, William; VASARI,
Giorgio). Painting Illustrated in Three Dialogues, Containing some
Choice Observations upon the Art. Together with the Lives of the Most
Eminent Painters, from Cimabue, to the time of Raphael and Michaelangelo.
With an Explanation of the Difficult Terms. London: Printed by John Gain
for the Author, 1685. Tall octavo, early full calf gilt. $3500.
First edition, first issue (with 1685 title page) in English of Vasari's Lives of the Artists, the conceptual basis for Renaissance scholarship and the foremost source for popular perceptions of the history of Western painting. A few pages with marginal paper flaws (not affecting text), overall text extraordinarily clean; binding with light wear to joints and inoffensive scuff to front board. A beautiful copy. |
