Artist
Paolo Uccello
Timeline
Born Paolo di Dono, he earned the nickname 'Uccello' (bird) due to his fondness for painting animals, especially birds, and keeping numerous pictures of them at home.1
From 1412 to 1416, he was apprenticed to Lorenzo Ghiberti, whose Late Gothic narrative style and sculptural compositions greatly influenced Uccello's early artistic development.1
He maintained a lifelong friendship with the sculptor Donatello, which included a visit to Padua in 1445 at Donatello's invitation, marking a significant personal and professional bond.1
His 1436 monochromatic fresco of Sir John Hawkwood used perspective to make the equestrian monument appear as a sculpture viewed from below, showcasing his technical virtuosity.1
The Battle of San Romano panels, painted in the mid-1450s, use extraordinary foreshortening and controlled visual structure to depict the Florentine victory over Siena in 1432.1
His daughter Antonia was a Carmelite nun and a noted painter ('pittoressa'), though none of her work survives today to reveal her style or skill.1