Piero Della Francesca ― Personal Encounters

This book tells the story of Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca (1411/13?1492) by focusing on four paintings he created over the span of his career. It also provides the first study of his small-scale devotional paintings, including the exquisite Saint Jerome and a Donor. One of today’s most prominent scholars narrates the painting’s mysterious history and uncovers new insights gleaned during its recent study and restoration. The authors explore the relationship between this painting and other works made by Piero for private devotion, including one of his last and most striking paintings, the magnificent Madonna di Senigallia. New research describes the complex relationships between Piero and his patrons and other contemporaries. This book brims with revelatory details about Piero’s work that will intrigue both casual readers and devoted fans of the artist, and will form a gateway to a larger analysis of Piero’s overall body of work.

Keith Christiansen is the John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of the Department of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.