Brief Biography-Giorgio Vasari, the son of a potter, was a native of Arezzo. He received his education alongside Ippolito and Alessandro de’ Medici in Florence, which precipitated later commissions from the de’ Medici family. Andrea del Sarto, Rosso Fiorentino and Jacopo Pontormo were his contemporaries, In addition, Vasari became acquainted with Michelangelo, who strongly influenced his work. He undertook numerous commissions by the de’ Medici family in Florence and other cities, his most notable being in the Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo Florence.
In architecture, he was responsible for the magnificent Uffizi Loggia and the Vasari Corridor, which spans the Arno River over the Ponte Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti.
His most noted fame is for writing Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects. It is arguably the first and most significant work in the history of artists. Vasari and Cosimo I de’ Medici founded the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, the Academy of the Arts of Drawing. Its members included prominent artists such as Michelangelo and Bronzino. Artemisia Gentileschi became the first female member. His house in Arezzo has much of his work and is today a museum.