Piero della Francesca

Piero della Francesca was an Italian painter, mathematician, and geometer who lived during the Early Renaissance. He was born around 1415 and passed away on October 12, 1492. Today, he is best known for his beautiful paintings that show a deep understanding of human feelings and the way things look in space.

His paintings often used simple, geometric shapes and showed things from a viewpoint that made them look real, a technique called perspective. One of his most famous works is a series of paintings called The History of the True Cross, which can be seen in the Basilica of San Francesco in the Tuscan town of Arezzo.

Besides his art, Piero della Francesca also studied mathematics and geometry, which helped him create such balanced and peaceful scenes in his paintings. His work remains important for both its beauty and the way it shows the world during a time of great change in art and science.

Biography

Piero della Francesca was born Piero di Benedetto in the town of Borgo Santo Sepolcro, now in Tuscany. His father passed away before he was born, and he later became known as Piero della Francesca after his mother. Romana, his mother, encouraged his learning in mathematics and art.

He started his art training with a local painter and later worked in Florence, where he met famous artists. Piero’s most famous work is a series of paintings called The History of the True Cross in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. These paintings tell an old story about finding pieces of a special cross. Piero also created many other important paintings and wrote books about art and math. He spent his life in different cities, sharing his skills with many young artists, and passed away in 1492.

Criticism and interpretation

The Frick Collection in New York once showed seven paintings by Piero. A critic named Jerry Saltz liked one painting very much called Virgin and Child Enthroned With Four Angels. He thought it showed deep feelings and important symbols.

Another writer, Walter Kaiser, said the best painting in the show was a picture of Saint Augustine from the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon. It was part of an art piece along with a painting of Saint John the Evangelist.

Work in mathematics and geometry

Piero della Francesca loved studying math and shapes, which helped him create beautiful paintings. 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 talk about numbers, shapes, and how to show three-dimensional objects in paintings. His ideas were used by other famous people, like Luca Pacioli and even Leonardo da Vinci.

Later in his life, Piero copied many works by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, filling 82 pages with important math ideas. These copies are kept in a library called the Biblioteca Riccardiana.

Inspirations

Bohuslav Martinů wrote a musical piece called Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca, dedicated to Rafael Kubelik. It was first performed by Kubelik and the Vienna Philharmonic at the 1956 Salzburg Festival.

Piero’s beautiful use of shapes and light in his paintings inspired many modern artists, including Giorgio de Chirico, Massimo Campigli, Felice Casorati, and Balthus.

Selected works

Piero della Francesca created many beautiful paintings and artworks. Some of his most famous works include Polyptych of the Misericordia, The Baptism of Christ, and The History of the True Cross. His pieces can be found in museums and churches around the world, such as the National Gallery in London and the Musée du Louvre in Paris. These artworks show his skill in using shapes and perspectives to create peaceful and thoughtful scenes.