How did Piero della Francesca portray Federico da Montefeltro in his portrait?

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Piero della Francesca: The Flagellation of Christ — Piero della Francesca *The Flagellation of Christ*, tempera on wood panel by Piero della Francesca, late 1450s; in the National Gallery of the Marches, Urbino, Italy.

In his portrait of Federico da Montefeltro, Piero della Francesca depicts the ruler of Urbino in absolute profile, a style inspired by the Renaissance fashion for portrait medals.1

Piero’s portrayal is noted for being both realistic and idealized. He captures Federico "warts and all," including visible skin blemishes and a hook nose that had been damaged in a tournament. In a diplomatic choice, the artist hid the right side of the Duke’s face, which had been badly disfigured during the same incident. Federico is shown wearing bright red court attire and a hat of state, set against a luminous landscape background. This work, which likely formed a diptych with a portrait of his wife, Battista Sforza, remains one of the few known portraits by the artist.1