100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

New on the blog! 🇯🇵 Japanese Healing Fiction & ☕ The Perfect Winter Reads

The Collector of Lives

Giorgio Vasari and the Invention of Art
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Collector of Lives by Noah Charney and Ingrid Rowland presents a biography of Giorgio Vasari, the Italian painter, architect, and writer known for his significant contributions to art history. The book explores his life, works, and the profound influence of his writings, particularly his lively chronicling of Renaissance artists. Through a rich narrative, the authors delve into Vasari's role in shaping our understanding of art and artists of his time.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5699
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by the world of art, particularly the intriguing life and influence of Giorgio Vasari, the first art historian. Blending biography with art history, it offers an insightful exploration of the Renaissance through the eyes of the man who celebrated its masters, making it a captivating read for art lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A narrative of intrigue, gossip and colourful artistic rivalry, The Collector of Lives presents a lively introduction to a seminal figure in the very human story of art itself.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) was a man of many talents—a sculptor, painter, architect, writer, and scholar—but he is best known for Lives of the Artists, which singlehandedly established the canon of Italian Renaissance art.

Before Vasari's extraordinary book, art was considered a technical skill, and artists were mere decorators and craftsmen. It was through Vasari's visionary writings that Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo came to be regarded as great masters of life as well as art, their creative genius celebrated as a divine gift.

Lauded by Sarah Bakewell as "insightful, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable," The Collector of Lives reveals how one Renaissance scholar completely redefined how we look at art.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book is praised for its insightful and engaging depiction of Giorgio Vasari, placing him at the centre of the Renaissance art world. Reviewers commend the authors for their panoramic view and engaging storytelling, re-establishing Vasari's significant contributions to art and history. This biography is celebrated for being both erudite and accessible, offering a lively entry into the Renaissance period's artistic and political landscape.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393356366

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 November 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Illustration: 8 pages of color illustrations; 3 maps

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 491g

Pages: 432

About the Author

Noah Charney is an internationally best-selling author and professor of art history living in Slovenia. Ingrid Rowland is an award-winning author, a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books, and a professor of history, classics, art, and architecture at the University of Notre Dame, based in Rome.

Also by Noah Charney

View all
  • These Trees Tell a Story
    A deeply personal master class on how to read a natural landscape and unravel the clues to its unique ecological history Structured as a series of interactive field walks through ten New England ecosystems, These Trees Tell a Story challenges readers to see the world through the eyes of a trained naturalist. With guided questions, immersive photography, and a narrative...
    Paperback
    $5299
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Slavic Myths
    A Pulitzer-nominated author and one of the great public intellectuals of Slavic culture bring to life the unfamiliar myths and legends of the Slavic world. Slavic cultures are far-ranging, comprising East Slavs (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), West Slavs (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland) and South Slavs (the countries of former Yugoslavia plus Bulgaria). Yet, they are connected by tales of adventure and...
    Hardback
    $4899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Slovenian Cuisine
    Winner of the Gourmand Award for Best Chef Book; a love-letter to the region, by the internationally-renowned chef and father of modern Slovenian cuisine. First published in Slovenian in 2018, this long-awaited, award-winning book has finally been translated to English. With beautifully written introductory essays for each new stop and robust narrative elements, it follows a road trip around Slovenia...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Thefts of the Mona Lisa
    Historian Charney tracks the eventful life of the Mona Lisa in this rollicking account.... The result is both a thrilling tale of true crime and a rigorous work of art history. — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review From the artwork to its theft and role in popular culture, the critically-acclaimed book The Thefts of the Mona Lisa (Foreword Reviews, Publishers Weekly...
    Hardback
    $7661
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The NFT Book
    NFTs, non-fungible tokens, as collectible, digital, blockchain-secured files became an international sensation in 2020, with the trend in trading them peaking in the autumn of 2021. Many sold for millions, and one even sold for $69 million. And yet what exactly are they, and why do they have value? This is the definitive book on NFTs in the story of...
    Hardback
    $9430
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Brushed Aside
    Discover anew the herstory of art that Publishers Weekly calls "illuminating" and Foreword Reviews calls "spirited" for an enlightening art history read. How many female artists can you name? Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marina Abramovic? How about female artists who lived prior to the Modern era? Maybe Artemisia Gentileschi and then… even a regular museum-goer might run out of steam....
    Hardback
    $9430
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Accidental Picasso Thief
    In 1969, during a Boston snowstorm, a crate containing Pablo Picasso’s Portrait of a Woman and a Musketeer vanished from Logan Airport. It should have gone to a Milwaukee gallery—but instead ended up in the closet of Bill Rummel, a young forklift operator. What followed was a stranger-than-fiction chain of events: FBI agents on the hunt, whispers of Whitey Bulger’s...
    Hardback
    $5500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Art of Fatherhood
    Fatherhood is a fundamental aspect of human existence and a central theme in the arts. Yet, depictions of fathers in art have been overshadowed by those of mothers and children. The Art of Fatherhood explores representations of fathers in visual culture and literature throughout history, from ancient to contemporary times and around the world. It includes a broad definition of...
    Hardback
    $5500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Devil in the Gallery
    “It’s an in-depth look at varied time periods and artists, which readers interested in gossip, drama, or art history will enjoy.” Library Journal, Starred Review Scandal, shock and rivalry all have negative connotations, don’t they? They can be catastrophic to businesses and individual careers. A whiff of scandal can turn a politician into a smoking ruin. But these potentially disastrous...
    Hardback
    $10726
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • There's a Criminal Touch to Art
    On December 12, 1976, German conceptual artist Ulay stole Hitler’s favourite painting from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. It was art theft as conceptual artwork. He hung the painting on the wall of a working-class immigrant family’s home, then phoned the museum to let them know where they could retrieve it. Told from three perspectives, this unique and groundbreaking book...
    Hardback
    $4400
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Empower Your Kids
    An entertaining, imaginative guide to teaching your kids while having fun You would do anything for your kids, right? What if you could do something meaningful for them in less than 15 minutes a day? You can. And you can do it through a combination of imparting knowledge, boosting confidence, and having fun. In Empower Your Kids, bestselling author Noah...
    Hardback
    $5500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The 12-Hour Art Expert
    Brimming with examples from across the artistic spectrum, this is the perfect primer to hook future art enthusiasts. Publishers Weekly Interested in art but feel under-informed? Curious but afraid you might not "get" it? Already a fan and wishing to immerse yourself in a fun, engaging, informative and informed read that will refresh and top up your Art History 101...
    Hardback
    $7190
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Biography & Memoir

View all
  • New Release
    Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
    From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    Stakes
    Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Famesick
    Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Built for This
    Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Even the Good Girls Will Cry
    Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    An Ocean and a Day
    An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Place to Stand
    A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Backorder
    Ships early August
  • New Release
    Rule of Lies
    Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Rory
    The New York Times bestseller The #1 Irish Times bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4199
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
    Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Māori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year...
    Paperback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    This Is Me: A Reckoning
    This is a searingly honest and moving memoir from double Golden Globe-nominatedactress Hayden Panettiere. Hayden Panettiere has been in front of the camera since before she could talk. She roseto stardom typecasted as Hollywood's blonde girl next door. As a young celebrity,naysayers were certain she would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.Hayden Panettiere's irreverent memoir satisfies our...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Beyond Life and Death
    From martial arts icon and global film star Jet Li comes a revelatory, profound and inspiring guide to self-mastery and spiritual wisdom, distilled into 10 essential life lessons. Martial arts legend and international movie star Jet Li distils 10 powerful insights from his iconic career, his personal life and philosophies, and his 30-year Buddhist practice. Jet Li's story defies legend....
    By Jet Li
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.