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Piero della Francesca (c. 1420 - October 12, 1492) was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance. To contemporaries, he was known as a mathematician and geometer as well as an artist, though now he is chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting was characterized by its serene humanism and its use of geometric forms, particularly in relation to perspective and foreshortening.

Piero was probably born and died in Borgo Santo Sepolcro, Tuscany. Most of his work was performed in the Tuscan town of Arezzo. He may have learned his trade from one of several Sienese artists working in San Sepolcro during his youth. By 1439 Piero was working with Domenico Veneziano on frescoes for the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence. He also worked in Rimini, Ferrara, and Rome. In Ferrara, his influence is particularly strong in the allegorical works of Cosimo Tura. Among his disciples is Melozzo da Forlì.

His deep interest in the theoretical study of perspective and his contemplative approach to his paintings are apparent in all his work, including the panels of the S. Agostino altarpiece. Among other mathematical writing, later in life he wrote a treatise, De prospectiva pingendi, on the rules of mathematical foreshortening applied to any object, be it a cube or human head.

Contents 1 The Flagellation of Christ (c. 1460) 2 Frescoes for the Church of San Francesco, Arezzo (c. 1466) 3 Piero’s work in mathematics and geometry 4 Anthology of works 5 Inspirations 6 Bibliography 7 External links 8 References

Main article: The Flagellation (Piero della Francesca)

The Flagellation, which was painted by Piero della Francesca around 1460, is one of the most famous and controversial pictures of Renaissance. As discussed in own entry, it illustrates the air of geometric sobriety, in addition to presenting a perplexing enigma as to the nature of the three men at right forefront.

Main article: The History of the True Cross

The unfinished facade of the church of San Francesco in the Tuscan city of Arezzo is home to what is generally considered a masterpiece of Piero della Francesca and of early Renaissance painting, a cycle of frescoes depicting the Legend of the True Cross. The story in these frescoes revolves around published medieval legends as to how timber relics of the True Cross came to be found. These stories were collected in the "Golden Legend" of Jacopo da Varazze (Jacopo da Varagine) written in mid 13th century. ^[1]

Three treatises written by Piero are known to modern mathematicians: Abacus Treatise (Trattato d'Abaco), Short Book on the Five Regular Solids (Libellus de Quinque Corporibus Regularibus) and On Perspective for Painting (De Prospectiva Pingendi). The subjects covered in these writings include arithmetic, algebra, geometry and innovative work in both solid geometry and perspective. Much of Piero’s work was later absorbed into the writing of others, notably Luca Pacioli. Piero’s work on solid geometry appears in Pacioli’s De Divina Proportione, a work illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci.

• Portrait of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (c. 1451) - Tempera and oil on panel, 44.5 x 34.5 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris
• Madonna della Misericordia (c.1445)
• The Flagellation (c. 1460)
• Resurrection (c. 1463)
• Montefeltro Altarpiece (1465)
• Paired portraits (c. 1472) of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, respectively the Duke and Duchess of Urbino.

His portraits in profile take their inspiration from Roman coins.

Tomaoko Suzuki's new 2006 crib for St Martin-in-the-Fields, to be displayed in Trafalgar Square, cited della Francesca as an inspiration.^{[2] [3]}

• Gantz, Jeffrey, "Strong, silent type: Piero della Francesca, international artist of mystery", The Boston Phoenix, Arts section, September 1, 2006.
• Roberto Longhi, "Piero della Francesca" ISBN 1878818775.
• John Pope-Hennessy, "The Piero della Francesca Trail" including Aldous Huxley Piero essay "The Best Picture" ISBN 1892145138.

• Paul Johnson, Art: A New history
• Olga's Gallery: Piero della Francesca
• Piero della Francesca article at the University of St. Andrews

1. ^ "The Golden Legend, or Lives of the Saints" Volume Three, retrieved on 2007-05-22.
2. ^ "New Christmas crib for Trafalgar Square", retrieved on 2007-05-22.
3. ^ "Tomoaki Suzuki wins St Martin-in-the-Fields commission for Trafalgar Square crib", retrieved on 2007-05-22.