Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

Benvenuto Cellini

Jan. 2021 · Graphic Arts Books

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Benvenuto Cellini started getting onto trouble at a young age. By age sixteen, he had already been exiled from his hometown for six months due to a public assault of another citizen. As a man with endless talents—sculpting, drafting, writing, music, Cellini enjoyed dabbling in many different art forms, a career that enabled him to travel to various major cities. After apprenticing for a goldsmith, Cellini moved to Rome at age nineteen. There, Pope Clement praised his work. However, Cellini’s relationship with Clement was the last time he stood in good graces with a Pope. After insulting Pope Clément’s successor, Pope Farnese, Cellini left Rome to pursue work in France, fearing that he would be arrested if he stayed. However, his travels did not protect him from the wrath of Pope Farnese. After being accused of the theft of precious Vatican items, Cellini was imprisoned. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Cellini organizes a prison escape. Though his feud with Pope Farnese greatly complicated his life, Cellini relishes making enemies, and finds humor in every situation he is in. With stories of sexual conquests, murder, escapes, near-death experiences, and artistic endeavors, Benvenuto Cellini reveals all the salacious details of his exhilarating life.

Though he exposes many ugly personality traits that he possesses, Cellini himself does not believe that he has faults, and only admits to being wrong once in his life. Despite this, Cellini possesses an influential amount of charisma, which is as evident in his written work as it was in his life. Autobiography by Benvenuto Cellini provides a privileged look into the social life of the Italian Renaissance, and preserves the memory of the incredible artistic work of Cellini, most of which has been lost to time. Because of the fascinating and atypical life Cellini led, paired with his charisma and humor, Autobiography has remained to feel exciting and relevant to a modern audience, both for entertainment and educational purposes.

Now with an eye-catching cover design and printed in a readable font, Benvenuto Cellini’s Autobiography is accessible for a contemporary audience, preserving the wit and grandeur of work, while renovating it to appeal to a modern audience.

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Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) was an Italian goldsmith, soldier, musician, poet, author, and sculptor. Active during the Italian Renaissance, Cellini was an important artist for the style of Mannerism. Many of Cellini’s sculptures have been lost to time, but they are recalled in their glory in Cellini’s writing, particularly in his autobiography.