Piero Della Francesca: Tradition and Innovation in Renaissance Art.

This study discusses all of Piero della Francesca's work, and describes the major influence on his art and its form, content and meaning, as well as the artistic world from which it arose. He was virtually unknown until he was rediscovered by Seurat, Cezanne and later by Bernard Berenson.

In tracing the life and art of Piero della Francesca, Cole explores the influences on the artist, including his debated sojourn in Florence in the 1430s and his affiliation and affinity for the works of Massacio, Donatello, Veneziano, Brunelleschi, Uccello, and others. He separates Piero's works into types and weaves together dense word picture descriptions for each, including the altarpieces, the frescoes, and the portraits. He also considers the artist's role in Renaissance culture, his important commissions, his technique, etc. Whether readers agree or not with Cole's assessment of Piero, they will find this fine, prolific historian (author of Renaissance Artist at Work, among other books) at his best in Part 1 and the Epilogue. With 95 illustrations in a 6 9 trim size, footnoted text, selected bibliography, and modest price tag, this book is a sensible purchase for most art book collections.
- Ellen Bates, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.