Anthology?

[Alan Potter <alan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You may find "the Agony and the ecstacy" somewhat over romanticised. If you
want a contemporary view of artists such as Michaelangelo  you won't go far
wrong reading "Lives of the Artists" (two volumes) by Giorgio Vassari, which
is readily available in paperback in many High Street bookshops and is very
readable. These books give a very good insight into how artists were
trained, how workshops/studios were run, how commissions were costed and how
the artists were regarded in their own lifetime. It also records how most of
them began their careers and how they ended their days. I'm sure you will
enjoy them, unless of course you have already read them.

Best wishes
Alan Potter

-- http://www.alanpotter-publicart.com/