Book review of the life of Perugino..in Giorgio Vasari's Life of the artists translated by George Bull

Giorgio Vasari Lives of the Artists translated by George Bull Life of Pietro Perugino. "How Beneficial poverty may sometimes be to the talented people and great its power to make them perfect or outstanding in one capacity or another." (BULL 86) So begins the life of Pietro Perugino born Pietro di Cristoforo Vanucci as written by Vasari. In fact he dedicates the next two pages writing in the same vein. Vasari's writing at length on the …

…but a few, all outstanding artists and as already mentioned Raphael. Although Vasari is loathe to give much credence to Perugino's craft, his last comments show that Perugino was highly regarded up until the emergence of the new artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. He writes of the disciples "none ever equaled Pietro in diligence or in the grace he showed in coloring in his own personal style which proved so pleasing in his time" (103