Piero della Francesca

Piero della Francesca was an Italian painter, mathematician, and geometer who lived during the Early Renaissance. He is best known for his beautiful paintings, which are admired for their calm and peaceful style.

One of his most famous works is a series of paintings called The History of the True Cross. These paintings can still be seen in the Basilica of San Francesco in the Tuscan town of Arezzo.

Besides his art, Piero della Francesca also made important contributions to mathematics and geometry. He showed how these subjects could be connected to the world of painting. His work continues to inspire artists and thinkers even today.

Biography

Piero della Francesca was born Piero di Benedetto in the town of Borgo Santo Sepolcro, now in Tuscany. His father died before he was born, and he later became known as Piero della Francesca after his mother. Romana, his mother, helped him learn math and art.

Piero started his career as a painter, working with local artists and later meeting famous masters in Florence. He returned to his hometown, where he painted important works such as the Madonna della Misericordia and the Baptism of Christ. He also created famous frescoes in Arezzo, including The History of the True Cross, which is considered one of his greatest works. In later years, Piero continued to paint and write about art, influencing many younger artists until his death in 1492.

Criticism and interpretation

In 2013, the Frick Collection in New York showed several paintings by Piero. Critic Jerry Saltz liked the Virgin and Child Enthroned With Four Angels. He said the painting shows Mary and the baby Jesus in a special place. Mary looks at a rose that Jesus reaches for, which stands for love and beauty.

Another reviewer, Walter Kaiser, said the best painting in the show was a picture of Saint Augustine from the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon.

Work in mathematics and geometry

Piero della Francesca loved studying math and shapes. This helped him make his paintings look amazing. He wrote three important books about math: Trattato d'Abaco (Abacus Treatise), De quinque corporibus regularibus (On the Five Regular Solids), and De Prospectiva pingendi (On Perspective in painting). These books talked about numbers, shapes, and how to make things in paintings look real.

Piero also copied and illustrated many works by the ancient Greek math expert Archimedes. His work inspired other famous thinkers like Luca Pacioli and Leonardo da Vinci.

Inspirations

Bohuslav Martinů wrote a music piece for orchestra called Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca. He dedicated it to Rafael Kubelik. Rafael first performed it with the Vienna Philharmonic at a music festival in 1956.

Piero’s paintings used geometry and special lighting. These ideas inspired many modern artists. They include Giorgio de Chirico, Massimo Campigli, Felice Casorati, and Balthus.

Selected works

Piero della Francesca painted many famous artworks. Some of his most important works are the Polyptych of the Misericordia, The Baptism of Christ, and The History of the True Cross. You can see his art in museums and churches in Italy and around the world, like the National Gallery in London and the Musée du Louvre in Paris. His paintings are known for their peaceful scenes and clever use of shapes and space.

Other well-known pieces include The Flagellation of Christ, Resurrection, and the Diptych of the Count and Countess of Urbino. People love his art for its calm beauty and thoughtful design.