Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 04 (of 10) Filippino Lippi to Domenico Puligo — A Reader’s Guide

Vasari's Shifting Narrative Pace

Throughout the volume, Vasari alternates between compressed life stories and expansive passages of ekphrasis. The life of Fra Bartolommeo, for example, begins with a rapid sequence of commissions and travels: a panel for the church, a trip to Rome, a return to Florence. Then, abruptly, the prose lingers over a single painting—the S. Sebastian—describing its 'sweet countenance' and the scandal it caused among the friars. This shift from summary to scrutiny is characteristic of Vasari's method: he uses pace to signal importance. A work that receives detailed treatment is one he judges worthy of emulation. The translator, De Vere, reinforces these shifts by varying sentence length, from clipped clauses to long, comma-laden descriptions that mimic Vasari's own rhythm.

The Translator's Voice: De Vere's Choices

De Vere's translation, published 1912–14, adopts a formal register that sometimes heightens Vasari's original. Phrases like 'marvellous degree of harmony' and 'supreme perfection of manner' introduce a Latinate weight absent from the Italian. Yet De Vere also preserves Vasari's directness: 'he determined to depart' and 'he was accused many times' retain the bluntness of the source. The translator occasionally clarifies technical terms—'printer's smoke-black and the black of burnt ivory'—but avoids modernizing idioms. This creates a consistent voice that feels both historical and readable. Notably, De Vere does not flatten Vasari's evaluative language; praise such as 'truly ingenious' and 'extraordinary praise' remains intact, allowing the reader to gauge Vasari's critical hierarchy.

Recurring Details in the Excerpts

Several motifs recur across the excerpts. Vasari frequently notes the material effects of time on paintings: the panel that 'has now become much darker' due to black pigments 'growing heavier and darker.' He also emphasizes the illusion of life—figures that seem to breathe or speak—as the highest achievement. The description of two children playing instruments is a set piece: one 'with an ear intent on the harmony,' the other 'bending over with one ear to the lyre.' This attention to posture and gesture is a hallmark of Vasari's criticism. Additionally, the excerpts show his tendency to link artistic success to place: Fra Bartolommeo's failure in Rome is blamed on its 'air' and the bewildering number of works he saw, a contrast to his Florentine productivity.

Structure and the Role of the Preface

The volume includes 'The Author's Preface to the Third Part,' a structural marker that divides Vasari's project. This preface, placed between the lives of Luca Signorelli and Leonardo da Vinci, signals a shift in Vasari's periodization. In the excerpts, the preface is not reproduced, but its presence in the table of contents indicates that Vasari saw the artists in this volume as transitional figures—some, like Perugino and Signorelli, belonging to an earlier manner, while Leonardo and Raphael herald a new era. The volume's arrangement thus reflects a narrative of artistic progress, with each life contributing to a larger argument about the development of Italian art. De Vere's translation preserves this structure, allowing readers to trace Vasari's chronological and evaluative framework.

Readers approaching this volume should attend to the interplay between Vasari's biographical anecdotes and his technical descriptions. The translator's choices—particularly in pacing and diction—shape how we perceive Vasari's judgments. Comparing the treatment of lesser-known figures like Domenico Puligo with that of major artists like Leonardo reveals Vasari's criteria for inclusion. The volume rewards a slow reading, one that pauses on the detailed passages where Vasari's voice becomes most vivid.

There’s something tender about how Vasari lingers over a painter’s habits, the small delays before the work comes alive. I find myself thinking of that patience when I browse Sacred and legendary art, volume 1 (of 2) Containing legends of the angels and archangels, the evangelists, the Apostles, the doctors of the church, and St. Mary — Edition Insights; both feel like old friends telling stories slowly, with reverence for the people behind the halos.