Six Tuscan Poets 1543 - 1544

Giorgio Vasari painted 'Six Tuscan Poets' in oil on canvas, though its exact date remains unknown. In this group portrait, Vasari aligns himself with a lineage of great Italian writers, implicitly making a claim for painting as an intellectual pursuit on par with poetry. Originating in the Italian Renaissance, this concept of the artist as a learned intellectual gained traction as academies of art were established, seeking to legitimize artistic practice as a liberal art rather than mere craft. Vasari, as both a painter and the author of "Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects," exemplifies this shift. The laurel wreaths worn by the figures serve as a visual code, referencing classical antiquity and bestowing honor upon these poets within a carefully constructed cultural narrative. To fully understand this work, one could consult Vasari's own writings, as well as histories of the Florentine Academy of Art. Art history offers us the tools to uncover the complex interplay of art, social structures, and institutional agendas.