Final answer:
Giorgio Vasari esteemed drawing as a foundational aspect of the arts, admiring how it contributed to realism, especially in Tuscan art which he favored. He recognized the importance of perspective in achieving this realism and praised artists like Leonardo da Vinci for their detailed sketches. Vasari's book has been fundamental in shaping the Eurocentric view of art history.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, Giorgio Vasari acknowledges drawing as an essential skill for artists, and he admired the way it contributed to achieving realism in art. Vasari viewed Tuscan art highly, in part due to his origin, and this bias shaped the Eurocentric view of art history for centuries. In Vasari's time, the ability to accurately depict perspective was highly esteemed, as seen in works by Renaissance masters like Masaccio. Moreover, Leonardo da Vinci was renowned for his prolific sketching, which Vasari appreciated as groundwork for painting.
Notably, Vasari thought of the arts as a competition among the most accomplished artists. He praised the methodical approach to realism and perspective, as illustrated by Masaccio's use of geometry in creating three-dimensional space on a flat surface. Yet, his assessment of artists from outside Italy, such as German architects, was less favorable, labeling them as "Goths," indicating a clear regional bias.
Overall, Vasari's Lives acted as a primary source for the history and appreciation of art, providing posterity with insights into the methods, philosophies, and evaluations of artists from his perspective as an artist and historian.