My Life

benvenuto cellini julia conaway bondanella peter bondanella

"Men like Benvenuto, unique in their profession, need not be subject to the law."
--Pope Paul III on learning that Cellini had murdered a fellow artist

Benvenuto Cellini was beloved in Renaissance Florence. A renowned sculptor and goldsmith whose works include the famous salt-cellar made for the King of France, and the statue of Perseus with the head of the Medusa, Cellini's life was as vivid and enthralling as his creations. A man of action as
well as an artist, he took part in the Sack of Rome in 1527; he was temperamental, passionate, and conceited, capable of committing criminal acts ranging from brawling and sodomy to theft and murder. He numbered among his patrons popes and kings and members of the Medici family, and his
autobiography is a fascinating account of sixteenth-century Italy and France written with all the verve of a novel.

This new translation, which captures the freshness and vivacity of the original, is based on the latest critical edition. It examines in detail the central event in Cellini's narrative, the casting of the statue of Perseus.

Genres biographyhistoryartnonfictionclassicsitalyautobiographymemoiritalian literature16th century

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1558

This edition

Format: 512 pages, Paperback
Published: March 7, 2002 by Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780192828491
ASIN: 0192828495
Language: English

About the author

benvenuto cellini

Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the Cellini Salt Cellar, the sculpture of Perseus with the Head of Medusa, and his autobiography, which has been described as "one of the most important documents of the 16th century".