Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany Surrounded by his Artists.

Vasari was a productive court artist and architect in Florence during the first half of the 16th century, with his primary patrons being Alessandro and Ippolito de' Medici, until 1537 with the death of Alessandro. However, he is most well known for his book "Le vite de' più eccellenti architetti, pittori, et scultori Italiani," which was first published in 1550, and once again in 1568 in an expanded edition. Considered one of the most important books on art history ever published, "Le vite" was a two-volume biographical encyclopedia of both the lives and the techniques of Italian artists, which Vasari researched extensively, and which serves as a primary source on Italian artists to this day. Cosimo de' Medici, for whom "Le vite" was dedicated, eventually hired Vasari in 1554, where he would act as art impresario until his death, twenty years later. From 1555-1572, Vasari designed the remodeling and decoration of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, his most extensive task for de' Medici, where he acted as both architect and painter. Italian painter, writer.