Born in Paris on November 15, 1912. Died on July 18, 1990.
Education and professional career
- 1933: École normale supérieure
- 1937: Agrégé des Lettres
- 1950: Docteur ès Lettres
- 1945-1948: Assistant at the Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie
- 1951-1978: Director of Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études: "Histoire de la Renaissance" (successor to Augustin Renaudet)
- 1955-1970: Lecturer, then Professor of Modern Art History at the Faculté des Lettres de Paris
- 1970-1984: Professor at the Collège de France, chair Art and civilization of the Renaissance in Italy
- 1961: Member of the Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques. Section: Archaeology and History of Art
- 1959: Resident member of the Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France
- 1964-1981: Chairman of the Commission Nationale pour l'Inventaire des Monuments et des Richesses Artistiques de la France (National Commission for the Inventory of French Monuments and Artistic Treasures)
- 1969-1985: Vice-President of the Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art
- 1972: Member of the Villa Médicis Board of Directors
- 1975: Member of the Institut: Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
- 1960: Member of the Instituto Veneto delle Scienze, arti e lettere, Padua
- 1972: Member of the Accademia Toscana di Scienze e lettere la Colombaria, Florence
- 1974: Member of the Accademia Ateneo Veneto
- 1975: Member of the Accademia Arcadia
- 1976: Member of the Accademia dei Lincei
- 1979: Member of the Accademia Olympica
- 1981: Chairman of the Scientific Council of the "Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura" Andrea Palladio
Awards and distinctions
- War Cross 1939-1940
- 1974: Commander of the Légion d'Honneur
- 1974: Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- 1980: Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres
- 1984: Commander in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
