Often called "the first art historian",Vasari, Giorgio Dictionary of Art Historians, 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013. Vasari invented the genre of the encyclopedia of artistic biographies with his Le Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori (Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects). This work was first published in 1550 and dedicated to Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici. Vasari introduced the term "Rinascita" (rebirth in Italian) in printed works – although an awareness of an ongoing "rebirth" in the arts had been in the air since the time of Alberti. Vasari's term, applied to the change in artistic styles with the work of Giotto, eventually would become the French term Renaissance (rebirth) widely applied to the era that followed. Vasari was responsible for the modern use of the term Gothic art, as well, although he only used the word Goth in association with the German style that preceded the rebirth, which he identified as "barbaric". The Lives also included a novel treatise on the technical methods employed in the arts.Vasari, Giorgio. (1907) Vasari on technique: being the introduction to the three arts of design, architecture, sculpture, and painting, prefixed to the Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects. G. Baldwin Brown Ed. Louisa S. Maclehose Trans. London: Dent. The book was partly rewritten and extended in 1568, with the addition of woodcut portraits of artists (some conjectural). thumb|Title page of the first and second part of the 1568 edition of the LivesThe work shows a consistent and notorious bias in favour of Florentines and tends to attribute to them all the developments in Renaissance art – for example, the invention of engraving. Venetian art in particular (along with arts from other parts of Europe), is ignored systematically in the first edition. Between his first and second editions, Vasari visited Venice and while the second edition gave more attention to Venetian art (finally including Titian), it did so without achieving a neutral point of view.
Often called "the first art historian"Vasari Giorgio Dictionary of Art Historians 2013 Retrieved 26 May 2013 Vasari invented the genre of the encyclopedia of artistic biographies with his Le Vite de' più eccellenti pittori scultori ed architettori (Lives of the Most Excellent Painters Sculptors and Architects) This work was first published in 1550 and dedicated to Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici Vasari introduced the term "Rinascita" (rebirth in Italian) in printed works – although an awareness of an ongoing "rebirth" in the arts had been in the air since the time of Alberti Vasari's term applied to the change in artistic styles with the work of Giotto eventually would become the French term Renaissance (rebirth) widely applied to the era that followed Vasari was responsible for the modern use of the term Gothic art as well although he only used the word Goth in association with the German style that preceded the rebirth which he identified as "barbaric" The Lives also included a novel treatise on the technical methods employed in the artsVasari Giorgio (1907) Vasari on technique being the introduction to the three arts of design architecture sculpture and painting prefixed to the Lives of the most excellent painters sculptors and architects G Baldwin Brown Ed Louisa S Maclehose Trans London Dent The book was partly rewritten and extended in 1568 with the addition of woodcut portraits of artists (some conjectural) thumb|Title page of the first and second part of the 1568 edition of the LivesThe work shows a consistent and notorious bias in favour of Florentines and tends to attribute to them all the developments in Renaissance art – for example the invention of engraving Venetian art in particular (along with arts from other parts of Europe) is ignored systematically in the first edition Between his first and second editions Vasari visited Venice and while the second edition gave more attention to Venetian art (finally including Titian) it did so without achieving a neutral point of view