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Which features of Piero della Francesca’s style appear in the Misericordia Altarpiece?
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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.
The Misericordia Altarpiece, commissioned by the Confraternita della Misericordia in 1445, serves as an early example of the artist's developing style. The features of Piero della Francesca’s work evident in this piece include:
- Indebtedness to Florentine Masters: The work reflects the influence of the sculptor Donatello and the painter Masaccio, both of whom were central to the early Renaissance style Piero encountered during his formative period in Florence.1
- Geometric Interest: The altarpiece highlights the artist's foundational fondness for geometric form, a characteristic that would remain a hallmark of his career and later theoretical writings.1
- Deliberate Execution: The work illustrates the slowness and deliberation with which Piero habitually approached his painting, as the commission was not completed until 1462.1
These elements demonstrate the early integration of the rational, sculptural, and mathematical principles that would define his mature artistic contributions.21