You can’t un-see it: the broken nose. Even in the skilled hands of artist Piero della Francesca (circa 1415–1492), the deep indent at the bridge seems not quite normal. Yet, the obvious physical defect in a formal portrait might be seen as a badge of honor for a cultured aristocrat who improved the lives of his people.
The Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, built a fortune as a condottieri, or captain of a mercenary army of knights, to fight for various warring cities and states. As both a military and civic leader, he inspired loyalty and devotion from his subjects.
Federico cared for the families of killed or wounded soldiers. He walked the streets of Urbino, unarmed and without guards, seeing about the welfare of the residents.
His mercenary work financed the hill town of Urbino into a cultural center and financed his support of the arts. But he was more than that. He studied history and philosophy. He was known as “the light of Italy” in the early Renaissance for his patronage of upcoming of artists and writers, including a young Raphael.
At his palace in Urbino, Italy, the duke had his own beautiful workplace, a studiolo; he built a great library and set up a scriptorium as a center for writing and copying important works.
The elaborately framed portrait (circa 1473–75) by Piero della Francesca is one of the most popular stops at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The beautifully framed painting is the right side of a diptych, or a two-paneled painting, which is shared with a portrait of his beloved wife, Battista Sforza.
The artist painted the duke in profile serenely facing his beloved wife’s portrait, whose profile faces toward him. The profile references the profiles in classical coins of Roman emperors and portrait medals, and adds to the nobility of the portrait. One might say this was the duke’s “best side” since he has lost his right eye and underwent surgery to allow him to see better with his left.
The background depicts the duke’s lands, prosperous with ships in the harbor, a bustling city, and rolling mountains. As if looking down from a high point, we see a sprawling domain. The court of Urbino was great and growing.
The back of the painting is also decorated with images of the duke on a chariot with symbols of the virtues of justice, insight, courage, and restraint. A Latin inscription reads: “He rides illustrious in glorious triumph, as he wields the scepter in moderation. The eternal fame of his virtues celebrates [him] as equal to the greatest dukes.”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art now owns an entire studiolo, or small study, from the duke’s palace in Gubbio, Italy, which has trompe l’oeil (a technique called “fools the eye”) decoration.
As Piero della Francesca shows in this portrait of the duke, looks don’t count as much as good deeds and inner character. A guide to the Uffizi Gallery states: “With his rational, almost metaphysical style, the great artist achieves the perfect representation of the Renaissance man, aware of the centrality of his role in the universe and the importance of his intelligence and his culture.”