100 Great Artists

'" PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA

1410fU) Born in &r§J

Sam<pdmJ, Rln if

a 'an",r

14Jf(?)

-"

"4'

l44f_62

14f2..{jf

14H(!)

1459

1465(')

1492

m"king in

fllorm" unti.,.

J"",.....ia""

TiII:.'1l rounciUor in

Borgo S"""f'Ohrn

Pain",\h<~Jnn.

ddl.

,\1 iscrj"",t;a in

Borga S"""P"liro

Pa;nu fr='" for

church (JfSt

hand,-,Auz;::()

JI'<.o-.bngjU.-C(Jur,

o/Rimini

Paid fir 11"rk

("",,,last) in

I,,"'am

II'<"-hng for Duk.

oflJrbina

Oi";,, &r~

SarIJ'P"/lTa

B3ttiSt~ Sfor"", "ife of Federico d:.o Montddtro

(c.1472)

BaffiJ1a Sfor-..a ". ..,-a ,",,"lvr if ,11< ruling Milan". family.

Sb. /xir, P,dmro m'm dough"" and a ,,'" afU,. ,;:Ix", hirth

m. t/j,d Moo birror;"", klln-. ,bi, portrait _ "'" of a

diprycb _ tra. paim<d po<tbU1n"uriy. Th< INxkgr""'u/ ,OOt...,-

jJrhiTl() IlrId Ib, rumJ",,,Jjng ",untryritk

P

icro <leD. 1',..""""", "I'llursw h,,·c Icd.

quiet I'"n'incial life. Although

Vm"';"nn w1.S his ",OS'Cr, he is not

""('<,,,1,,1 , .. 1,.,longing to .nl' worhh'1', and

'pCJl. mo,t of his time <;thet in Ar<-uo 0' Borgo

S'n"'I_,bn. lie S','::mS to h",,, ftt"lan,,-,1 on~'

fot shon p"ri,. ls in Rom." Ferra,a, U rbi,.., and

Flo,m"", perhaps juggling a nID"h"r of

assign""'ntS ., anr Ofle ti"",.

Ddl. Fran""sC:l.'" ",o,k in ,he 6eld of

a,chi,,,,,,ural inn.",;ofl would ha," made him

much s()ugh, ... f,,:r, It:., he ,..as also" "" .• ,,"

ge'l<"",riei'n .nd ,he au,ho, of. leHned

Ire.,;", Ofl the rules of pe"pc",;,.::. Such

cxperti", with ",ale and P"'I_mion malos his

I"imings "isuallr I"",,'crful. Wha' makes tl><:m

I~easing as well is his genius ~" o'g-.nizing

c"lour ma5SCS. C:I.,cfullr h:tlanC("(I'gainst Ia'ge

p.le "cas to :>thieve unitr be,ween 'p'''''

and lighting.

Dell. Franc .. ..,.,. ""l<h,1 ,Iowlr. Fo.-a f""co

I"ime" this non".lIr poStS pn)t.iems but he

hung \R~ sheL"tS (JI-cr tl><: pl""L"I"" night So he

cnuld ",turn n) it tl><: next ,hr. Oil I" inting on

",ood _ ,ueh as he had prol" t.ir Srtn in Urh, no

_ g"t: him no such tmuble. Ddt. Fran""""',

''l'le ,eAc",ed ,he I",)ut.,itr of Flemish oil

p.inting among ,he l"tH"'S of the pL,.iod,

",hich mar .emun' ~" the lo5S of CSteCm aftcr

his death, when "'-"cs inL~'itat.i}' ch.ng.::d.