The (Italian for Book of Drawings) was a collection of drawings gathered, sorted, and grouped by Giorgio Vasari whilst writing his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. By the time of his death in 1574 it is thought to have contained around 526 drawings, of which 162 are now in the Louvre and 83 in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.[1] There are also drawings from the in the prints and drawings departments of the Uffizi, the British Museum, the Albertina, the National Gallery of Art and other institutions.
Some art historians believe they were gathered to illustrate Vasari's Lives directly, as a visual index of the artists' works, whilst others believe it was a separate document in its own right. In his preface to the Lives, Vasari described his reasons for writing:
No text reveals why Vasari compiled his collection of drawings, but it was probably to illustrate the styles of the different artists he wrote about and to show how he had divided them "into three parts, or rather let us call them periods, between the rebirth of the arts and our own time - each of these is distinguished from the others by manifest differences". The earliest drawing in the collection was by Cimabue and the latest dated to Vasari's own time. In the 1550 and 1568 editions of the Lives Vasari insisted on drawings as documents which allowed the viewer to perceive the maniera of the great masters of painting and mentioned when he owned one or two drawings by a particular artist, such as at the end of his life of Filippo Lippi:("Fra Filippo drew very well, as one can see in my own of the most famous painters, in the preparatory drawings for the altarpiece at Santo Spirito and the frescoes in the Prato chapel.") and in his life of Sandro Botticelli ("Sandro's drawings were of a totally unique excellence; and, after his death, more and more artists have been keen to have some of his drawings; and I myself, in my collection, have a few which were done with great care and judgement").
Giorgio Vasari was one of the founders of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno set up in Florence by Cosimo I of Tuscany in 1563. He and the other founders wished to use this academy to promote artists above the status of artisans.[2] [3] He was also a passionate collector of drawings and in his he set them in his own paper frames and gathered drawings by one or more painters on a single sheet. In 1528 he received a collection of Lorenzo Ghiberti's drawings, as one of Ghiberti's descendants.[4]
After Vasari's death, the sheets of the were initially bought in 1574 by the Florentine collector Niccolò Gaddi (1537-1591).[5] They were then sold by Gaddi's heirs before 18 May 1638, the date of death of Lorenzo Sabbatini, who had been put in charge of the . They were then dispersed among the Medici, Arundel, Quesnel, Crozat and Mariette collections during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Albertina, Vienna | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory Number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standing male figure | 2000 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Study of three standing men The "Cavaliere della Scalza" seen from behind, with a young boy in profile . | 1456r 1456v . | Teschen 1822 Teschen 1822 | Entry Entry . | ||
Studies of hands Profile of a young woman . | 4858 17620 . | Teschen 1822 Teschen 1822 | Entry Entry . | ||
Standing draped man | 39 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Christ blessing, surrounded by angels | 511 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Study of heads | 14179 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Two studies of women | 17617 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Kneeling angel | 41 | Teschen 2623 | Entry | ||
Self portrait in an ornamental frame | 33 | Teschen 2623 | Entry | ||
Jesus in the Temple | 581 | Teschen 2623 | Entry | ||
Two studies of a standing man | 4875 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Self-portrait as an old man | 1965 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Mystic Marriage of St Catherine | 2006 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Portrait of Leonardo Bruni in profile | 46 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Two men dressed in eastern costume | 33 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Study of heads | 14179 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | A bishop | 13128 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | Study of a nude young man seen from behind | 12r | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | 21 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | Two standing men | 22r | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | Two standing men | 22v | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | One man seated, one man kneeling | 23r | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | One man seated, one man kneeling | 23v | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Florentine painter, 15th century | The Mocking of Christ | 20 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Florentine painter, 15th century | 61 r | Teschen 1822 | Entry | ||
Anonymous Florentine painter, 16th century | Study of angels | 61 v | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Siennese painter, 16th century | Head of a young girl | 2790 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Tuscan painter, 16th century | Brother Andrea de Servi in profile, wearing a hood | 28 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Tuscan painter, 16th century | Tonsured monk in profile | 29 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Tuscan painter, 16th century | Portrait of prior Michel Berteldi in profile | 30 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Tuscan painter, 16th century | Poet wearing a laurel wreath | 31 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 16th century | Jupiter embracing Callisto whilst disguised as Diana | 514 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 16th century | Jupiter embracing Antiope whilst disguised as a satyr | 515 | Teschen 1822 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 16th century | Male pilgrim in a hood | 25 | Teschen 1822 | Entry |
British Museum | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nude couple with demons; self-portrait. | 1895,0915.807 | John Wingfield Malcolm 1895 | Entry | ||
Studies of hands Study for a Resurrection . | Pp,1.14 Pp,1.32 . | Richard Payne Knight 1824 Richard Payne Knight 1824 | Entry Entry . | ||
Two saints | 1882,0812.218 | Henry Hobhouse 1882 | Entry | ||
Nude man holding a bow One man seated, one man standing, possibly for a St Sebastian . | Pp,1.4 Pp,1.15 . | Richard Payne Knight 1824 Richard Payne Knight 1824 | Entry Entry . | ||
Head of an old man | Pp,1.28 | Richard Payne Knight 1824 | Entry | ||
Saints Roch, Christopher and Sebastian | 1900,0717.32 | Colnaghi 1900 | Entry | ||
Virgin Adoring the Christ Child | Pp,1.30 | Richard Payne Knight 1824 | Entry | ||
Seated sibyl | Pp,2.187 | Richard Payne Knight 1824 | Entry | ||
Anonymous Florentine artist, 15th century | Animals | 1935,1214.2.1 | Colnaghi 1935 | Entry |
Ecole des Beaux Arts | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anonymous Italian painter, c.1370 | Life of saint Potitus[6] | Recto + Verso |
The first drawings from the to enter the French national collection were bought by Everhard Jabach, probably when the Arundel collections were sold in 1646 and 1654 after his and his widow's deaths.[7] They then passed from Jabach into Louis XIV's drawings collection in 1671. Further sheets from the were added when the French royal collection bought part of the collection of Mariette in 1755 and when Saint-Morys's collection was seized by the revolutionary government in 1793. These later additions may have originated in the sale of the Crozat collection, for which a catalogue survives. Part of the Mariette collection was sold to the royal collection in 1775. Other pages entered the French national collection from émigré goods seized by the revolutionary government and via gift and purchase.
Musée du Louvre | |||||
Artists | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allegri Antonio Copy after Antonio Allegri | Bust of a nude seated woman, head of a child : study for Leda and the Swan Profile of St John the Baptist | 5922 6019 | Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry Entry | |
Nude man kneeling, seen in profile, undressing Neptune, with sea monsters at his feet | 105 122 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Torso of a woman, without head and arms, seen full-face, possibly Venus Hercules, from behind, legs apart, holding his club Standing woman, facing the viewer, possibly Venus Torture with the estrapade Nude man lying on the ground, possibly a river god | 255 255 bis 255 ter 256 257 | Mariette 1775 Mariette 1775 Mariette 1775 Mariette 1775 Mariette 1775 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
6064 6064 bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | |||
Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple | 7049 | Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry | ||
Lamentation of Christ | 652 | Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry | ||
school of Sandro Botticelli | Helmeted male head ; man in drapery, leaning to the right Two standing men in drapery | 678 Recto 678 Verso | Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry Entry | |
The Flagellation The Martyrdom of St Agatha | 6260 6268 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Statue of Hercules on a pedestal, with men drawing and contemplating it Virgin and Child on clouds, surrounded by several figures | 48 2820 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Adoration of the Shepherds Standing man, seen from behind | 1112 1113 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Virgin and Child | 1156 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
4847 4875 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | |||
The Dead Christ Held Up By An Angel and Four Saints | 3107 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Fontana Giovanni Battista Attributed to Giovanni Battista Fontana | Weeping over the dead Christ Christ collapsing under the weight of the cross | 4914 5084 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | |
Francesco Maria da Cornazzano, known as Zoppino da Modena | 6306 6307 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Franciabigio Attributed to Franciabigio | Study for an altarpiece of the Virgin and Child with St Francis and the Archangel Gabriel Holy Conversation : Virgin and Child with two saints | 1202 1671 | Jabach 1671 Mariette 1775 | Entry Entry | |
Study for The Resurrection of Christ and murder scene Standing woman holding up her left arm : study for Achilles recognised among the daughters of Lycomedes Aeneas carrying his father Anchises on his shoulders Study of soldiers for The Resurrection of Christ Figures after the antique : guerriers, cupids driving chariots, Hercules Study for doctors of the law in Christ among the doctors | 4932 4946 4946 Bis 4958 4966 4985 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
The Resurrection of Lazarus | 8262 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Gabriele da Fano | Christ at the column | 3109 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | |
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple An angel crowning the Christ Child with thorns, adored by St Jerome and the Virgin Mary The Virgin and Child looking at an old man Prisoners kneeling before an enthroned king | 9680 9682 9684 9684 Bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Manzuoli Tommaso, known as Maso da San Friano | Warrior and old man sitting holding a lyre, both seen from behind Standing figure, right profile Standing monk three-quarters face with joined hands Dinner in the house of Simon the Pharisee Michael the Archangel holding a sword and scales and trampling the dragon underfoot Draped woman, flying near a nude old man sleeping on a bed | 1306 1306A 1306B 1306C 1306D 1306E | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | |
Adoration of the Shepherds | 8382 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Annunciation with God the Father and the Holy Spirit Adoration of the shepherds Virgin and Child enthroned with a papal saint and a priest-martyr Virgin and Child enthroned between Michael the Archangel and St John the Evangelist | 8383 8385 8386 8386Bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Michele da Lucca | Frieze : children playing with a wolf and a lioness, with the lioness breastfeeding one of them Frieze : children playing with a wolf and a lioness Frieze : Triumph of Ariadne Frieze : seven cupids on seahorses | 1326 1326 A 1326 B 1326 C | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry | |
Male mask | 8399 | Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry | ||
Dead Christ, supported by two angels and mourned by the Virgin Mary Christ at the column | 5080 5080 Bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Diana and Endymion | 5083 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Christ and the Samaritan Woman | 2799 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Semi-nude woman leaning on a pedestal in a landscape | 3585 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
The Resurrection of Lazarus Christ handing the keys to St Peter Noli me tangere St Francis receiving the stigmata | 5094 5095 5095 Bis 5107 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Apollo, standing, holding his bow and arrows, with his lyre at his feet | 8464 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Birth and naming of St John the Baptist | 4268 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Peruzzi Baldassarre Tommaso Attributed to Peruzzi Copy after Peruzzi | Satirical allegory : Mercury purged A ruse of war Plan for a circular image with scenes from the stories of Moses and Joseph | 1419 1422 4259 | Mariette 1775 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry | |
The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria St Catherine of Alexandria Saint Lucy, standing, facing the viewer, her head in left profile | 8506 8507 8507Bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry | ||
Pippi Giulio known as Giulio Romano | Virgin and Child with Saints Stephen, Jerome, Antony the Great and George The Fall of Icarus A long-haired dog Female captive, seated in front of trophies Victory with trophies, writing on a shield David holding the head of Goliath | 3464 3499 3573 3573A 3573B 3573C | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | |
Attributed to Giulio Peppi | Seated Virgin playing with the Christ Child Virgin and Child with Saints Benedict and John the Evangelist | 3580 3581 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | |
Pan, seated in the clouds, surrounded by children floating in the air Venus seated on the clouds | 8563 8563 Bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Longinus piercing Christ's side between the two thieves | 6740 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
The Wedding Feast at Cana Holy Family surrounded by angels and saints | 4286 6858 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | ||
Giovanni Battista Ramenghi known as Bagnacavallo | Warrior, in classical dress, standing, facing the viewer, holding the shaft of a lance | 8894 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | |
Lamentation of Christ | 5371 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Rosso Fiorentino | Virgin of Pity | 1579 | Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry | |
Hercules, facing the viewer, holding Cerberus in chains in his left hand Christ in the Temple among the Doctors St Peter, standing, three quarter profile, head facing the viewer The Wedding Feast at Cana | 9008 9008A 9008B 9008C | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Warrior in classical dress, standing, facing the viewer, holding the shaft of a lance Kneeling St Jérôme with another monk or friar, possibly St Francis St John the Evangelist supported by an altar Male nude, facing the viewer Veiled female nude, turned to the right, surrounded by a niche | 1642 1642A 1642B 1642C 1648 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Virgin Mary with St Joseph, an angel and the sleeping Christ Child Saint Bibiana, standing, facing the viewer, leaning on a broken column Holy Family served by angels during the Flight into Egypt Three soldiers in classical dress, with their heads turned away Putti disarming Cupid sleeping in his chariot Nude child, facing the viewer, standing on a medallion, arms spread wide Nude child, crowned, seen from behind, held by another child's arm | 9024 9024A 9024B 9024C 9024D 9024E 9024F | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
Study for a head of St Francis Study of a hand Main et pieds Draped and seated man, writing Head of a bald bearded man, left profile Five studies of hands Studies of arms and hands, with one hand holding a loaf of bread Three studies of legs Four studies of a left foot Study of legs Dragon devouring a snake Knight putting on his armour Profile head of a man | 1678 Recto 1678 Verso 1679 1680 Recto 1680 Verso 1714 1714A 1714B 1714C 1714D 1724 1724.2 1726 | Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 William II 1850 William II 1850 William II 1850 William II 1850 William II 1850 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry | ||
The Wedding Feast at Cana Three figures fighting, with an old man seated near a tree Apollo flaying Marsyas | 5450 5452 5452bis | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry | ||
Sciarpelloni Lorenzo Attributed to Lorenzo Sciarpelloni . | Three-quarter study of the head of a woman wearing a hair net Design for a funerary monument Nude seated child, body turned to the left Virgin and Child Nude seated child, holding its right leg. | 1783 1788 1792 1792 Bis 1792 Ter | Mariette 1775 Mariette 1775 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry. | |
Serafino da Verona | Adam and Eve chased from the Earthly Paradise Mary Magdalene in the desert, seated, turning towards the right | 5459 5460 | Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry | |
Priest saying Mass Half-length of a seated man, writing Five sketches of angels flying and playing instruments Descent from the Cross; Lamentation. | 1246 1247 1247 Bis 1247 Ter. | Mariette 1775 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry Entry Entry Entry. | ||
Female warrior receiving weapons from a genius | 6789 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
The Road to Emmaus | 1929 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Martydrom of a male saint, possibly St Sebastian | 1963 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Portrait of Louis II of Naples in profile wearing a cap and a crown Portrait of Manuel Chrysoloras, wearing a bonnet and holding a book Left profile of a man's head . | 9849 9849 Bis RF 730 . | Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 His de la Salle 1878 | Entry Entry Entry . | ||
Design for a scheme for a barrel vault with side arches Last Judgement altarpiece Cupid Hunting | 2076 2153 2169 | Ercole III 1796 Jabach 1671 Jabach 1671 | Entry Entry Entry | ||
Annunciation | 4539 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | ||
Anonymous Florentine artist, 15th century | Dog seizing a hare Study of a nude man on a bed Half-length of a nude man, seen from behind, holding a baton. | 1256 1256 Bis 1256 Ter. | Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 Saint-Morys 1793 | Entry Entry Entry. | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 15th century | Christ crucified between the two thieves | 9839 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, late 16th century | Pentecost | 1654 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | |
Anonymous Italian painter, 16th century | Virgin and Child | 10029 | Jabach 1671 | Entry | |
Anonymous Venetian painter, 16th century | Woman standing ina landscape, hands folded and eyes raised to the sky | 5659 | Jabach 1671 | Entry |
Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pollaiolo Antonio | Study for the equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza |
The museum acquired 83 drawings from the as part of the Pierre Crozat and Carl Gustaf Tessin collections. They include Domenico Ghirlandaio's Head of an Old Man, a study for his 1490 painting An Old Man and his Grandson, now in the Louvre.[8]
Nationalmuseum | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ghirlandaio Domenico | Portrait of an old man[9] | NMH 1/1863 | Tessin, then Swedish Royal Collection | Entry | |
Circle of Uccello Paolo | Six animal studies[10] | NMH 45d/1863 | Tessin, then Swedish Royal Collection | Entry |
Uffizi | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tabernacle | 1669 A | Jean-Baptiste Séroux d'Agincourt 1798 | Entry |
Metropolitan Museum of Art | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Franciabigio | Study for an altarpiece of the Virgin and Child with Two Saints[11] | ||||
Pollaiolo Antonio | Study for the equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza[12] | 1975.1.410 | Lehman Collection | ||
Spinelli Parri | Study of Giotto's Navicella[13] |
National Gallery of Art | |||||
Artist | Subject | Inventory number | Acquired from | Online | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait of a young man, forearm and left hand | 1991.190.1 1991.190.1.a | Woodner Collection 1991 | Entry Entry | ||
Saints Roch, Antony the Great and Catherine of Alexandria | 1991.190.1.h | Woodner Collection 1991 | Entry | ||
Standing young nude Man with a baton Studies of different subjects Dancing putto holding a drape Angel holding a torch Two angels holding torches Standing woman in prayer Two draped standing women . | 1991.190.1.b 1991.190.1.c 1991.190.1.d 1991.190.1.e 1991.190.1.f 1991.190.1.g 1991.190.1.i 1991.190.1.j . | Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 Woodner Collection 1991 | Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry . |