Dimensions
158 x 218 x 15mm
The Art Mysteries series examines several highly regarded masterpieces in an attempt to unravel the mysteries that surround them. Edited by Marco Carminati and Stefano Zuffi, they present an up-to-date and spectacular reading of famous paintings, investigating key clues to previously unknown background information.. The sublime synthesis of Piero della Francesca's art, the Montefeltro Altarpiece, now in the Pinacoteca di Brera, is one of the most famous works dating from the painter's maturity. It was executed in the refined context of the Urbino court, probably to be placed above Duke Federico da Montefeltro's tomb in the Church of San Bernardino. Napoleon's soldiers took it to Milan in 1811, and since then it has never ceased to fascinate and intrigue viewers. What does its perfect marble architecture mean? Who exactly are the characters portrayed? Above all, what is the egg hanging from the shell-shaped vault above the Virgin Mary's head intended to convey? Seeking the answers to these questions involves an exciting journey of discovery leading to the solution of Piero della Francesca's enigmas. AUTHOR: Marco Carminati graduated with a degree in Medieval and Modern Art History at the Universita Cattolica in Milan in 1986. A professional journalist, since 1990 he has been head of the art, architecture and cultural heritage section of the 'Domenicale', the Sole 24 ORE's Sunday cultural supplement. He has written monographs on Italian Renaissance painters (Piero della Francesca, Cesare da Sesto, the illuminator Master BF), and on Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. He recently published Il Davide in Carrozza (Milan, 2009); the first history of the fantastic adventures of works of art while being transported. ILLUSTRATIONS: 21 colour
