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 Fifth Centenary of the Death of the Painter Piero della Francesca Scott 904-907 (1992) In keeping with its tradition of honoring the great artists of all times, in 1992 Vatican City released a four stamp set honoring Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca, who died five hundred years earlier on October 12, 1492. Born in the town of Sansepolcro, in the Tuscany region of Italy, della Francesca, in addition to being a painter, was also known as a mathematician and geometer. His style is characterized by its serene humanism, its use of geometric forms and perspective. After apprenticing in Sansepolcro, he went to Florence around 1437, where he likely encountered some of the leading masters of the early Renaissance, including Fra Angelico, Luca della Robbia, Donatello, and Brunelleschi. In 1442, he returned to his hometown, was elected to the City Council, and, three years later, received his first commission, the Madonna della Misericordia altarpiece for the church of Sansepolcro (this work is discussed below). He spent time over the years in Urbino, Arezzo and his native Sansepolcro, where he died in 1492. The stamps issued for the anniversary of his death, shown above, illustrate two paintings, with details of each. The 300 L and 750 L stamps show the fresco Our Lady of Childbirth, which is located in the Chapel of the Cemetery of Monterchi in Arezzo. The 1000 L and 3000 L stamps show the fresco The Resurrection, which is located in the Civic Museum of the Town of Sansepolcro. A recent article in Vatican Notes by James Hamilton provides an excellent review of this stunning work. Vatican City issued two stamps illustrating della Francesca's Polyptych of the Misericordia. Now located in the Civic Museum Museo Civico in Sansepolcro, it is one of his earliest works. The central panel shows the protective motif of the Virgin Mary, know as the "Madonna della Misericordia", or "Madonna of Mercy". The image appeared on two of the stamps that were issued in 1960 to call attention to the World Refugee Year: 
 Images of Della Francesca's Madonna della Misericordia World Refugee Year Issue Scott 277 and 280 (1960) Click on the Page 2 button below for a closer look at this early masterpiece by Piero della Francesca. REFERENCES: |
