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smitchy's review
3.0
Brief Bios of three Italian artists: Da Vinci, Filipipo & Botticelli.
A great read for anyone studying art history, or traveling to Italy
A great read for anyone studying art history, or traveling to Italy
tclinrow's review
3.0
As interesting as the information about Leonardo da Vinci and the other two artists was great, but not great enough for Vasari's over the top hero worship of Da Vinci; it started out mildly annoying but endearing, and got so much worse... and the book is barely 50 pages long!!!
paloma_sanchezh's review
3.0
Review in English | Review in Spanish
Virgin with Child and two angels, 1445.
Photo from Trianarts
A very quick read to learn some basics about three key Italian painters: Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli as related by the famous art historian Vasari. Each painter has a very brief essay describing some of their most famous works and a bit of their personality. Though Vasari focuses more on the description of paintings or frescoes, he gives us small glimpses of the character of these geniuses. Da Vinci was so intelligent that he probably had some sort of attention disorder (he rarely finished what he started!); Lippi was a lustful man who liked mundane pleasures while Botticelli… well he seemed to be the least eccentric of the three! I was interested particularly by the life of Fra Filippo, mainly because I didn’t know much about him -so after reading this essay I did a research on his work and he was indeed extraordinary. He painted a great deal of religious images but as Vasari puts it, he went beyond the typical by making his characters -saints, Madonnas, more human, more authentic.
Though I enjoyed this reading, I was left feeling I needed more -a deeper exploration of the artists, their lives and their times, considering Vasari lived a bit closer in time. Now, this is the same issue I’ve had with the Little Black Classics, particularly when they take parts of bigger essays or collections of writings. I understand the idea behind the Black Classics -easy to carry, affordable, readable books– and it does work perfectly when those are short stories but not so much for larger texts.
Apart from that, this book made me realize that Italy is a country I need to visit soon.
____________
Una lectura rápida para aprender cuestiones básicas de tres pintores italianos clave: Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Filippo Lippi y Sandro Botticelli, relatado por el famoso historiador Vasari. Por cada pintor hay un ensayo breve describiendo algunas de sus obras más importantes y un poco de su personalidad. A pesar de que Vasari se enfoca más en la descripción de pinturas o frescos, también nos brinda pequeñas pinceladas del carácter de estos genios. Da Vinci era tan inteligente que probablemente tenía una especia de desorden de atención (¡en serio, al parecer raramente terminaba lo que empezaba!); Lippi fue un hombre dominado por los plaeres de la carne y lo mundano mientras Botiticelli… bueno parecía el menos excéntrico de los tres, a reserva de ser muy bromista. En particular, me interesó mucho la vida y obra de Fra Filippo, principalmente porque no conocía mucho de él por lo que al leer este ensayo investigué un poco sobre sus obras y era, en verdad extraordinario. Si bien la gran parte de su trabajo eran imágenes religiosas, fue más allá del canon de la época, transformando a personajes típicos -santos, vírgenes, etc., en retratos más humanos y auténticos.
A pesar de que disfruté este libro, me quedé esperando algo más -quizá una exploración más a fondo de los artistas, su vida y sus tiempos, considerando que Vasari vivió en una época más cercana ellos. Ahora bien, este es un problema que he tenido en general con los Little Black Classics de Penguin, principalmente cuando toman fragmentos de ensayos más largos o colecciones de escritos. Entiendo la idea detrás de estas ediciones -son libros fáciles de llevar, accesibles, y funciona perfecto cuando se trata de cuentos, pero no tanto para textos más grandes.
Fuera de eso, este libro me hizo darme cuenta que Italia es un país que debo visitar muy pronto.
Virgin with Child and two angels, 1445.
Photo from Trianarts
A very quick read to learn some basics about three key Italian painters: Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli as related by the famous art historian Vasari. Each painter has a very brief essay describing some of their most famous works and a bit of their personality. Though Vasari focuses more on the description of paintings or frescoes, he gives us small glimpses of the character of these geniuses. Da Vinci was so intelligent that he probably had some sort of attention disorder (he rarely finished what he started!); Lippi was a lustful man who liked mundane pleasures while Botticelli… well he seemed to be the least eccentric of the three! I was interested particularly by the life of Fra Filippo, mainly because I didn’t know much about him -so after reading this essay I did a research on his work and he was indeed extraordinary. He painted a great deal of religious images but as Vasari puts it, he went beyond the typical by making his characters -saints, Madonnas, more human, more authentic.
Though I enjoyed this reading, I was left feeling I needed more -a deeper exploration of the artists, their lives and their times, considering Vasari lived a bit closer in time. Now, this is the same issue I’ve had with the Little Black Classics, particularly when they take parts of bigger essays or collections of writings. I understand the idea behind the Black Classics -easy to carry, affordable, readable books– and it does work perfectly when those are short stories but not so much for larger texts.
Apart from that, this book made me realize that Italy is a country I need to visit soon.
____________
Una lectura rápida para aprender cuestiones básicas de tres pintores italianos clave: Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Filippo Lippi y Sandro Botticelli, relatado por el famoso historiador Vasari. Por cada pintor hay un ensayo breve describiendo algunas de sus obras más importantes y un poco de su personalidad. A pesar de que Vasari se enfoca más en la descripción de pinturas o frescos, también nos brinda pequeñas pinceladas del carácter de estos genios. Da Vinci era tan inteligente que probablemente tenía una especia de desorden de atención (¡en serio, al parecer raramente terminaba lo que empezaba!); Lippi fue un hombre dominado por los plaeres de la carne y lo mundano mientras Botiticelli… bueno parecía el menos excéntrico de los tres, a reserva de ser muy bromista. En particular, me interesó mucho la vida y obra de Fra Filippo, principalmente porque no conocía mucho de él por lo que al leer este ensayo investigué un poco sobre sus obras y era, en verdad extraordinario. Si bien la gran parte de su trabajo eran imágenes religiosas, fue más allá del canon de la época, transformando a personajes típicos -santos, vírgenes, etc., en retratos más humanos y auténticos.
A pesar de que disfruté este libro, me quedé esperando algo más -quizá una exploración más a fondo de los artistas, su vida y sus tiempos, considerando que Vasari vivió en una época más cercana ellos. Ahora bien, este es un problema que he tenido en general con los Little Black Classics de Penguin, principalmente cuando toman fragmentos de ensayos más largos o colecciones de escritos. Entiendo la idea detrás de estas ediciones -son libros fáciles de llevar, accesibles, y funciona perfecto cuando se trata de cuentos, pero no tanto para textos más grandes.
Fuera de eso, este libro me hizo darme cuenta que Italia es un país que debo visitar muy pronto.
darwin8u's review
4.0
“Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least, for they are thinking out inventions and forming in their minds the perfect idea that they subsequently express with their hands.”
― Giorgio Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci from Lives of the Artists, Vol 1?
Vol N° 58 of my Penguin [b:Little Black Classics Box Set|24611766|Little Black Classics Box Set|Various|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432158376s/24611766.jpg|44222896]. This volume contains three of Vasari's short biographies of Italian artists taken from his book (which I've read before and reviewed here) [b:Lives of the Artists|865036|Lives of the Artists (Volume 1)|Giorgio Vasari|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388231791s/865036.jpg|68186896]. Previously, I read an abridged version of Vasari's Lives done by Modern Library/Gaston du C. de Vere translation. These three selections (Leonardo da Vinci, Fr Fillipo Lippi, Sandro Botticelli) were part of Penguins Lives of the Artists, Vol 1., translated by George Bull. I didn't do a sentence by sentence compare and contrast (who got time for that?), but I enjoyed both.
If you are into art, visiting Italy, or just enjoy reading about genius, this is a nice little summary of Vasari. I wouldn't be afraid to venture into bigger and bigger chunks of either Vasari or his artists. They are all wonderful in their own way. I kept thinking how fun it would be to go to Italy and not direct my trips by destination but by artist. Do a Da Vinci trip and later do a Fr Fillipp Lippi trip. So much to do so much to read so much to see.
― Giorgio Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci from Lives of the Artists, Vol 1?
Vol N° 58 of my Penguin [b:Little Black Classics Box Set|24611766|Little Black Classics Box Set|Various|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432158376s/24611766.jpg|44222896]. This volume contains three of Vasari's short biographies of Italian artists taken from his book (which I've read before and reviewed here) [b:Lives of the Artists|865036|Lives of the Artists (Volume 1)|Giorgio Vasari|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388231791s/865036.jpg|68186896]. Previously, I read an abridged version of Vasari's Lives done by Modern Library/Gaston du C. de Vere translation. These three selections (Leonardo da Vinci, Fr Fillipo Lippi, Sandro Botticelli) were part of Penguins Lives of the Artists, Vol 1., translated by George Bull. I didn't do a sentence by sentence compare and contrast (who got time for that?), but I enjoyed both.
If you are into art, visiting Italy, or just enjoy reading about genius, this is a nice little summary of Vasari. I wouldn't be afraid to venture into bigger and bigger chunks of either Vasari or his artists. They are all wonderful in their own way. I kept thinking how fun it would be to go to Italy and not direct my trips by destination but by artist. Do a Da Vinci trip and later do a Fr Fillipp Lippi trip. So much to do so much to read so much to see.
persistentcreations's review
2.0
Not just about Da Vinci but still a good read if you are interested in the italian painters of Florence like Da Vinci
sylverslibrary's review
3.0
I have always been fascinated by the arts. As a result I have constantly felt compelled to further my knowledge in the area, both practically and theoretically.
Summary: Vasari provides a brief biography on Leonardo da Vinci along with 3 other Italian artists being Far Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli. The layout of their stories is set the same. From how they came to know art in their childhood, the response they received when their exceptional talent was established and some of their prominently admired works.
Thoughts: As an art enthusiast, I was really excited to read this book. I thought it would just be about Leonardo, so to have been able to acquire some background knowledge on Botticelli and Filippo-Lippi was a bonus to me. I do believe however, that the book would be must better with pictures of the art works mentioned. I often found myself frantically googling certain pieces that really caught my attention and doing my best to vividly imagine those I came across as I read along.
Favourite Quote: “If one wanted to see he faithfully art can imitate nature, one could readily perceive it from this head; for here Leonardo subtly reproduced every living detail.”
Summary: Vasari provides a brief biography on Leonardo da Vinci along with 3 other Italian artists being Far Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli. The layout of their stories is set the same. From how they came to know art in their childhood, the response they received when their exceptional talent was established and some of their prominently admired works.
Thoughts: As an art enthusiast, I was really excited to read this book. I thought it would just be about Leonardo, so to have been able to acquire some background knowledge on Botticelli and Filippo-Lippi was a bonus to me. I do believe however, that the book would be must better with pictures of the art works mentioned. I often found myself frantically googling certain pieces that really caught my attention and doing my best to vividly imagine those I came across as I read along.
Favourite Quote: “If one wanted to see he faithfully art can imitate nature, one could readily perceive it from this head; for here Leonardo subtly reproduced every living detail.”
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