Visualizing Literature: Book Club for Art Lovers
explores connections between the literary and visual arts through moderated book discussions and guided gallery tours led by experienced Joslyn docents. All book discussions begin in the Omaha Steaks Conference Room and conclude in the galleries where participants discover thematic links between the selected book and Joslyn's rich works of artworks on display.
The Collector of Lives: Giorgio Vasari and the Invention of Art
by Ingrid Rowland and Noah Charney
A vivid biography reveals how a Renaissance scholar reshaped the visual world.
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, the classic account that single-handedly invented the genre of
artistic biography and established the canon of Italian Renaissance art.
Before Vasari’s extraordinary book, art was considered a technical
skill rather than an intellectual pursuit, and artists were mere
decorators and craftsmen. It was through Vasari’s visionary writings
that artists like 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. Their enduring reputations testify to
Vasari’s profound yet unspoken influence on Western culture.
An
advisor to kings and pontiffs--and a confidant to Titian, Donatello, and
more--Vasari enjoyed an exhilarating career amid the thrilling culture of
Renaissance Italy. In
The Collector of Lives, Ingrid Rowland and Noah
Charney offer a lively and inviting introduction to this pivotal figure
in art history, and immerse readers in the world of the Medici of
Florence and the popes of Rome. A narrative of intrigue, scandal, and
colorful artistic rivalry, this vivid biography shows the great works of
western art taking shape under Vasari’s keen eye--and reveals how one
Renaissance scholar completely redefined how we look at art. - Amazon
Visualizing Literature is open to anyone interested in art and literature. Book discussions are free to Joslyn Members; the general public may attend for $5 (price includes admission to special exhibition)
. Reservations are required, please click here to register.
Books may be available for purchase in
Joslyn's Hitchcock Museum Shop. For details, please contact Joslyn's
Director of Adult Programs at (402) 661-3862 or
by email.
Visualizing Literature is presented in partnership with UNMC's Passport Partners program.
Mark your calendars for the next installment of Visualizing Literature on
November 12 when we explore
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.