In his discussion of the Camposanto in Pisa illustrata nelle arti del disegno of 1787, Alessandro da Morrona refers explicitly to other authors such as Roncioni and Tronci. He begins by describing how the Pisans fought in the Holy Land, and how Ubaldo Lanfranchi brought the holy earth back to Italy and bought a piece…Continue reading Alessandro da Morrona (1741-1821), Pisa illustrata nelle arti del disegno (1787)

Filippo Baldinucci came from a prominent and wealthy family of Florentine merchants. A painter, theoretician, and biographer of mostly Italian artists, he worked for both the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II de’ Medici, and for his brother Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici. As a curator of the Grand Ducal collection, he was one of Italy’s…Continue reading Filippo Baldinucci, Notizie de’ Professori del Disegno da Cimabue in qua (1681-1686)

The anonymous author of the Codice Magliabechiano cl. XVII. 17 probably had close connections to the Medici court and the manuscript is the most comprehensive source for the biographies of artists in Italy before Vasari’s Vite. The manuscript has been attributed to many different authors. The author is likely to be Bernardo Veccietti (1514-1590), a…Continue reading Anonimo Magliabechiano (c. 1540/1550)

Not much is known about Raffaelo Borghini. He was probably born in Florence in 1537, and he may be identified with Raffaelo di Francesco di Raffaelo, the son of Francesco Borghini. In Il Riposo, his friendship with a certain Giambologna is mentioned. Raffaelo Borghini probably travelled to France in 1579, and he seems to have had a…Continue reading Raffaelo Borghini (1537-1588), Il Riposo (1584)

Antonio Billi was a Florentine merchant who lived from the end of the fifteenth century into the first half of the sixteenth century. He was an educated man, with an interest in books, and had contact with Florentine literary circles. Although the manuscript bears his name, it was probably not written by him. Nonetheless, it…Continue reading Il libro di Antonio Billi (c. 1520-1530)

When Giorgio Vasari undertook the revision of his Vite, his aim was not simply to update and augment the first version with new and additional material – information that was provided and processed by a network of numerous correspondents and collaborators. He also reconceptualized his master narrative and reassessed the role played therein by certain…Continue reading Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori (1568)