Benvenuto Cellini and the Embodiment of the Modern Artist

A clear-eyed reconsideration of a scandalous Renaissance sculptor’s autobiography and art.

Benvenuto Cellini was a murderer, thief, lover of all genders, rival of popes and princes, as well as an ingenious artist. In his legendary autobiography, the Vita, Cellini describes his activities vividly and in lurid detail. Many of the most disturbing passages have been dismissed as fiction, but in this clear-eyed portrayal, Andreas Beyer argues that these sensational accounts of the body, sex, and extreme experiences are not only entertaining but historically authentic. The stories reveal the depth of Cellini’s character: an artist who embraced life and shattered boundaries. Ultimately, this book discovers the roots of modern art’s fascination with the autonomous artist deep within Cellini’s audacious life and work.

Andreas Beyer is professor of modern art history at the University of Basel and was previously director of the Centre allemand d’histoire de l’art in Paris.