These pages are intended as a compact up-to-date guide for readers wishing to find out more about one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all time, an artist epitomising the highest ideals of the age of Humanism whose complex personality challenges even the experts in this field of studies.

This monograph is dedicated to one of the greatest Italian masters, Piero della Francesca (San Sepolcro 1416/1417 approx. - 1492), whose towering multifaceted genius dominates the entire artistic and cultural panorama of the early Italian Renaissance.

Each work, from the Baptism of Christ to the Nativity at National Gallery in London, is presented with full-page images and is analysed in depth from the historical point of view, as well as for its style and considering its critical fortune during the centuries.

A specific focus is on the magnificent cycle of frescoes of the Legend of the True Cross, in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo, which is considered as Piero's masterpiece.

The author of the book, in charge of a conservation and restoration project of the Chapel, presents in her study the results of the conservation work on half of the painting surface, completed with the images of the frescoes after their cleaning.

This book is intended as a compact up-to-date guide for readers wishing to find out more about one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all times, who was numbered among the greatest artists of his time and highly praised by his contemporaries, beginning with Vasari in the Life that he dedicated to the artist of excellence from Sansepolcro.

The Rizzoli Art Classics series brings you Piero della Francesca, Titian, Caravaggio, and Velázquez, all in beautifully illustrated monographs, offering high-quality reproductions in compact, accessible volumes.

These books feature a literary introduction by a renowned art historian, a thoroughly researched essay, and captions describing the artist's most famous canvases. A useful appendix section includes an extensive chronology of the artist's life and important historical events of his time; a compilation of writings by well-known historians, insight into each painter's stylistic development; a geographical table detailing the location of each painting in the book; and a concise bibliography with suggested further readings.

With an authoritative text by leading art historians, these lavishly illustrated editions provide fresh insight into the art and lives of some of the most fascinating artists in the history of painting.