The essays in this book examine art historical manifestations observed in Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574)'s paintings and writings, including his impact in the emblematic tradition. Vasari's conception of history painting evolves in the development of religious and secular decorative cycles in the sixteenth century. His classical education, his love for collecting art and his quest for artistic expression through disegno (drawing) reveal his humanistic culture. Vasari fuses the classical artistic, literary and philosophical traditions with Renaissance literary and visual conventions, thus formulating a practical and theoretical artistic language as well as an historical visual and emblematic repertoire of images with their signification. "Cheney postulates a unique notion on Vasari's conception of history painting, which evolves in the development of religious and secular decorative cycles in the sixteenth century...This book will interest not only those who are initiating their study of Italian art, but in general, all those who are interested in Italian culture. In addition, it will be of value to scholars of art history."
-Wolfram Prinz, Professor of Art History, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universitat, Frankfurt am Main, and former President of the Classe Storia dell'Arte of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, Florence.