The collection of biographies of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance compiled by Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) has for nearly 5 centuries been essential reading for anyone interested in that period of art history. First published in 1550 under the title 'Lives of the Most Eminent Architects, Painters and Sculptors of Italy', Vasari wrote pen portraits of the artists who laid the foundations for the Renaissance (Cimabue, Giotto); continued with those who are recognised as early Renaissance artists, including Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Mantegna and Botticelli; and concluded with a section on those who are regarded as amongst the greatest artists of all time, including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo (who Vasari knew personally). Vasari's 'Lives' are written in an engaging, accessible style and have run into many editions in many different languages. This copy is the first such paperback edition, published in 1962, and has been abridged and edited by Betty Burroughes.