Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca

The diptych of the Dukes of Urbino is one of the most famous works of art of the Italian Renaissance. Painted by Piero della Francesca, it depicts the duke Federigo da Montefeltro and his wife Battista Sforza.
The duke, leader of mercenaries, skillful strategist and a great patron, turned Urbino into a refined and renowned cultural center.

It was there that Piero della Francesca carried out this masterpiece between 1465 and 1472.

The double profile portraits are reminiscent of the classical portrait medals and gives an ancient solemnity to the two figures. Their busts in the foreground dominate the wonderful landscape in the background, in order to emphasize the majesty of the court of Urbino.

Choosing the representation in profile was an inescapable choice. In fact, the Duke lost his right eye during a tournament and for this reason only the left side of his face is portrayed. His nose was also broken in a tournament.
The Duchess Battista Sforza is richly dressed and has an excessively high forehead, according to the fashion of the time.

The diptych is also painted on the back. Federigo da Montefeltro and his wife are shown on two antique wagons in the company of the Virtues. The Duke wears his armor just like a leader, while he is crowned by the Victory; the Duchess sits in a chariot pulled by two unicorns, symbols of chastity, to emphasize her pious and gentle soul.

Thanks to his aristocratic and hieratic art, Piero della Francesca achieves the noble goal to make the memory of the Duke and his Duchess eternal.

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.

You can see the Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca in the hall #8. dedicated to Filippo Lippi.