During our time spent traveling throughout Italy, we made a day trip to Arezzo to see Piero Della Francesca’s fresco paintings in the Basilica di San Francesco. The basilica was built in dedication to Saint Francis and was home to many Franciscan monks, who were known to have a great love and appreciation for nature. They lived humble and generous lives, with little to no worldly possessions. The frescoes painted behind the main altar were commissioned by the powerful Bacci family of the area for funerary purposes, and were created between 1452 and 1466.
The narrative displayed within the frescoes tells the historical and religious story of the True Cross, which depicts the timeline of the cross on which Christ was crucified. This story is quite a shift from the traditional biblical narrative that was typically portrayed during that time. The cross’s life begins as a tree planted at the death of Adam, it is then shown in various scenarios throughout time. The narrative is dominated by the themes of triumph and the fulfillment of the circular cycle of life, with the tree being present at the original sin and downfall of man, while also leading man to salvation through the sacrifice of the savior.
Using his background as a mathematician who possessed incredible knowledge of geometrical shape and depiction, Francesca placed a heavy importance on developing perspective. Characteristic of many Renaissance pieces, the desire to create depth is shown in his use of foreshortening and linear perspective. This form of perspective mirrors how the human eye views the world; closer objects (such as the horses in battle) appear larger while distant objects (such as landscapes) appear smaller. He also pays greater attention to the use of light, being one of the first painters to capture a night scene within these famous frescoes. One also notices in his battle scenes, a source of pride amongst artists at the time, the armor and weaponry are metallic – clearly done with the intention of creating a realistic image. Furthermore, tighter clothing on the figures shows the developing Renaissance importance of the human form and expression. Overall, the frescoes found within the Basilica di San Francesco show both Francesca’s skill as an artist and the progression of techniques and styles central to the Renaissance.
– Josh Petersen, Margo Clausen, and Maddy Serafin