This would be fantastic for an art history major who speaks basic Italian. Others may find it a bit dry. The fifth disc did not work properly on the CD audiobook. I think that is unacceptable. What I did hear of the audio book was great. But I recommend listening to it on audible because the CD's are poorly manufactured. You will need to get the book in print so you can see pictures of the artwork being discussed. The CD does not include a booklet of pictures, -1/2 star. ( )

I received an early review copy of the audio book CD version of "The Collector of Lives: Giorgio Vasari and the Invention of Art" by Ingrid Rowland and had hoped to listen to it during my commute. But this book is not an easy-to-listen-to-in-the-car sort of book. The narrator pronounces the Italian wonderfully, but when you are not familiar with the people and place names, it is easy to lose focus on the spoken words. You start to hear a pretty-sounding but meaningless syllables.

I agree with the other reviewers that this book really need an accompanying booklet so we can see the portraits of the "collected lives" as well as the artwork that is being described.

Sadly, the audio glitch on the 5th CD provided enough of an interruption that I never did finish the book.

What a delightful audiobook!

Much of the art history was familiar to me, but the story of biographer Giorgio Vasari was not. The authors deliver a lot of historical & biographical detail, but provides reminders along the way so that all those Medici and popes don't run together in the listener's mind. The narrator's voice is pleasant, and her delivery is varied and lively. (I will be seeking out other audiobooks she has read.) She handled the Italian names skillfully, but enunciated carefully enough that I could recognize them from my textbooks years ago.

It might be nice if there was a companion booklet in the audiobook's case with small reproductions of the various artists' work, but I very much enjoyed the story without that.

Two of the discs (#5 and one other) had flaws so I missed portions of the text.

(ObDisc: I received a copy of this book to review.) ( )

I received a CD version of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. It's reasonably interesting, but not suited to audio book format, given that it focuses on visual arts. I enjoyed stretches of this, but overall it felt poorly organized. If you love art history, you may appreciate it. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it—at least not in audio book format. ( )

Ingrid Rowland and Noah Charney’s book “The Collector of Lives” is a fascinating and educational ride through the history of art history, the renaissance, church history and the artists we think of as the foundation of western art. The book chronicles the life of Giorgio Vasari born in Tuscany who lived from 1511 to 1574. Vassari, considered the father of art history, was a sculptor, painter, writer and architect in his own right and lived at the center of art in renaissance Italy (although it was not known as Italy until later.) Vasari is perhaps best known for his book “Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects” which is considered the first book of art history. In fact, the artists we consider foundational to western art are those Vasari chose to include in his writings and our views of western art could have been much different but for Vasari’s promotion of Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo. I was amazed that one person writing in the 1500 could have had that much influence on the modern perception of art.
As was the custom of the time creators of art such as Vasari were engaged to create works for elite families and the church. Vasari had a long running relationship with Medici family, a military, religious and social force in Florence that included royalty, cardinals, popes and military leaders. Through the elite’s sponsorship of art, they promoted their version of history, publicly demonstrated spiritual devotion as much of the art of the time was religious in nature and created legacy. It was in this context that Vassari came to know most of the leaders of his society, the papacy and its artists. In his engagements by the Medici family and others he came to know intimately the work of the artists of prior generations and his direct peers. It was through this knowledge that he came to write his books while simultaneously completing commissions for painting, sculpture and architecture. Prior to Vasari’s writings practitioners of art were considered craftsmen and were to large degree anonymous. In his books he chronicled in great detail the works of specific artists and told the story of art thereby elevating the creators of art from craftsmen to artists. His work was the beginning of the cult of personality in art and promoted the concept that art flowed from the divine through a particular person.
Rowland and Charney’s book brought Vassari and the art of his time from dry abstraction and history to the personal and relevant. I was given an audio version of the book to review which I supplemented with a hard copy of the book from a local library. I recommend a hard copy of the book as it is about 400 pages and you will want to underline and make notes as the quantity of information is significant. ( )