Piero della Francesca

Lore & Background

Piero was born Piero di Benedetto in Borgo Santo Sepolcro to Benedetto de' Franceschi, a tradesman, and Romana di Perino da Monterchi. His father died before his birth, and he was called Piero della Francesca after his mother, who was referred to as 'la Francesca'. Romana supported his education in mathematics and art. He was most probably apprenticed to the local painter Antonio di Giovanni d'Anghiari, and in 1439 received payments with Domenico Veneziano for frescoes in Florence. In Florence he met leading masters like Fra Angelico, Luca della Robbia, Donatello, and Brunelleschi. In 1452 he was called to Arezzo to replace Bicci di Lorenzo in painting the frescoes of the basilica of San Francesco, finished in 1464. The History of the True Cross cycle is generally considered among his masterworks. He also worked in Rimini, Urbino, and Rome, executing frescoes and altarpieces. In his later years, painters such as Perugino and Luca Signorelli visited his workshop. He completed the treatise On Perspective in Painting in the mid-1470s to 1480s, and Short Book on the Five Regular Solids in 1485. He died on 12 October 1492 in his own house in Sansepolcro.

Reader's Guide

Piero della Francesca's significance lies in his integration of mathematical precision with serene humanism, producing works that exemplify Early Renaissance ideals. His fresco cycle The History of the True Cross in Arezzo is considered a masterwork of Renaissance painting, noted for its geometric composition and perspective. His treatises on perspective and solid geometry, including De Prospectiva pingendi and De quinque corporibus regularibus, contributed to the theoretical study of art and mathematics. Much of his work was later absorbed into the writings of Luca Pacioli, and his manuscript of Archimedes' works survives. His paintings, such as The Flagellation and the Double Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, are noted for their geometric sobriety and enigmatic qualities. Despite his vision deteriorating by 1480, he continued writing. His legacy endures through both his art and his mathematical writings, influencing later painters and mathematicians.

Did You Know?

• Piero was called della Francesca after his mother, who was referred to as 'la Francesca' due to her marriage into the Franceschi family.
• His most famous work is the cycle of frescoes The History of the True Cross in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo.
• He completed the treatise On Perspective in Painting in the mid-1470s to 1480s.
• Piero's work on solid geometry was translated in Luca Pacioli's Divina proportione, illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci.