Le vite de' piv eccellenti pittori, scvltori, et architettori
By: scritte, & di nuouo ampliate da M. Giorgio Vasari, pit. et archit. aretino ; co' ritratti loro, et con le nuoue vite dal 1550. insino al 1567 ; con tauole copiosissime de'nomi, dell'opere, e de'luoghi ou' elle sono
Contributors: Chrieger, Cristoforo, d. ca. 1590; Adriani, Giovanni Battista, 1513-1579; Cini, Giovanni Battista, b. 1530
Publisher: Appresso i Givnti
Published: 1568
Place of publication: In Fiorenza
Language: ita
Subjects: Portraits; Early works to 1800; Italian Art; Biography; Artists
Work titles: Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori et architettori
Notes: Revised, expanded and illustrated version of the 1st ed. (Florence : Lorenzo Torrentino, 1550).

Vol. 1 comprises pts. 1 and 2. Pt. 3 is divided into "Primo volume" and "Secondo volume," contained respectively in physical vols. 2 and 3; both have added t.p.'s.

Inner woodcut t.p. border incorporates Medici arms; the work is dedicated to Cosimo de' Medici (dedication from 1st ed. is reprinted along with the new one for this ed.). Woodcut port. of Vasari appears on [superscript pi]B4v, v. 1, over a repetition of the t.p. view of Florence; it is repeated at the beginning of his own life on 6D1v, v. 3. On leaf 2Q4r, v. 2, Vasari writes that he designed the 144 artists' ports. that illustrate most of the lives, while the blocks were cut by "Maestro Christofano." Mortimer writes that this could be either Christoforo Coriolano or Christoforo Criegher, but Coriolano is no longer considered a possibility; see article on Coriolano in Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon. Giunti devices on t.p. and colophon of pt. 3, v. 1 and on colophon of pt. 3, v. 2. Head- and tailpieces, many of type ornaments. Historiated and foliated initials.

Signatures, v. 1: [superscript pi]A-B [dagger]-[5 daggers] A-3T 3V². Vol. 2: *-5* a-2Z 3A². Vol. 3: [superscript pi]A² [fleuron]-5[fleurons] a-e 3A(-3A1) 3B-4Q 4R² 4S-6G 6H(-6H4).

Gathering 4R, v. 3, has 2 leaves rather than 4, though it is not so described in the register. Mortimer suggests that the gathering was shortened in order to begin the immediately following life of Michelangelo on the first leaf of a gathering, as it was intended that the life should appear as a separately published offprint (described under Mortimer, 517).

Vol. 1: [56], 224, 229-444, 447-497, 529, [1] p.; v. 2: [40], 370, [2] p.; v. 3: [84], 371-1012 [i.e. 972], [6] p. (the last 2 blank).

Pt. 3 opens with Giovanni Battista Adriani's letter to Vasari concerning ancient artists (a1r-3A1v). Included in pt. 3 is a reprint of Giovanni Battista Cini's description of the entry into Florence of Giovanna d'Austria and festivities to celebrate her marriage to Francesco I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, in 1565 (5P4v-6H1v).

Mortimer, R.  Italian 16th cent., 515

Vol. 1 of Getty c. 1 has the variant t.p., with the woodcut of the awakening souls of dead artists on the t.p. rather than on the verso, and without the view of Florence over the imprint. See Mortimer. The woodcut of the artists' souls appears as usual at the end of v. 3 in both copies (leaf 6H3v).

In both Getty copies, leaf 3A1, v. 3, is lacking, as called for in the register. Mortimer suggests that this is the leaf that appears at the beginning of v. 3, with a congugate leaf 3A2.

In Getty c. 1 the "Lettera di M. Giovambatista di M. Marcello Adriani a M. Giorgio Vasari" (signed a-e) appears in v. 1 following 5[daggers]4, rather than in v. 3, as called for in the register of that vol.; the letter is dated Sept. 8, 1597 (for 1567?).

In v. 1 of Getty c. 2, Vasari's port. ([superscript pi]B4) is bound in immediately after the title leaf. The leaf following is [superscript pi]A2 from v. 3, Vasari's "A gli artefici del desegno." In v. 3 of c. 2, leaves 2[fleurons]3-4 are bound in before 1[fleuron]1, and the final blank is wanting. In vols. 1 and 3 a number of leaves are remargined at the foot.

Corrections in the Getty copies generally follows those noted by Mortimer. There is a printed cancel slip, v. 3, leaf 3R4r, reading: Girolamo Genga pit. / Archittetto. The last line on K4v, v. 1, was omitted in the original printing and has been supplied by stamping. In line 25 of 5Y3r, v. 3, of Getty c. 1, "gratioso" has been replaced in MS by "gradito," but in c. 1 has merely been lined out. In both copies the last word on 2T3r, v. 1, has been corrected in MS from "Fiorentinore" to "Fiorentino." On 3A2r, v. 3 of c. 1, the signature has been changed in ink from Aaa 2 to Aaa.i.2.

Binding, c. 1: later (19th-century?) vellum. Spines gilt tooled, with author & title in a section stained orange, and volume designation and imprint below in a section stained purple. Page edges red. At upper left-hand corner of front pastedown in all 3 vols. is Theodore Besterman's calligraphic label, signed in the plate by P.S.

Binding, c. 2: later (end of 19th century?) tan goatskin, gilt tooled along margins of boards. Spines gilt tooled in a trellis of vines, the compartments of which are filled with a variety small flowers. Author, brief title, and vol. no. in gilt on black leather label at head of spine, imprint on another label at foot; they are now largely missing on v. 1. Edges of boards and turn-ins gilt tooled, page edges gilt. Centered on front pastedown in all 3 vols. is bookplate of Constitutional Club Library.