Piero della Francesca

Born in Borgo Santo Sepolcro, Tuscany. Supported by his mother Romana after his father's death, he received an education in mathematics and art, eventually becoming known by her name, 'della Francesca'.¹

In 1439, he worked with Domenico Veneziano in Florence. There, he was inspired by Masaccio's classicism and the innovations of Donatello and Brunelleschi, which formed the basis of his artistic style.¹

He served Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in Rimini, creating portraits and frescoes. There, he likely met architect Leon Battista Alberti, whose theories may have influenced his own work.¹

His masterpiece is 'The History of the True Cross' fresco cycle in Arezzo. Based on the Golden Legend, it depicts the story with intellectual and orderly composition, ranking among the greatest Renaissance works.¹

Active at the court of Duke Federico da Montefeltro in Urbino, he produced masterpieces like the 'Double Portrait of the Duke and Duchess' and the enigmatic 'The Flagellation', all based on mathematical order.¹

Also a theorist, he wrote 'On Perspective in Painting' between the 1470s and 1480s. He mathematically systematized perspective, profoundly influencing future artists and scientists.¹

Though his vision reportedly deteriorated in later years, his intellectual curiosity remained as he wrote 'Short Book on the Five Regular Solids'. He died in 1492 at his home in Sansepolcro.¹