The Madonna del parto (the Madonna of parturition) by Piero della Francesca
The Madonna del parto (Madonna of the parturition) by Piero della Francesca. One of the most fascinating and mysterious masterpieces by Piero della Francesca is located in Monterchi, in province of Arezzo.
It’s a fresco painted for a lateral altar in an old country church in the hill town of Monterchi.
It’s not clear the reason why Piero della Francesca, who was already a very famous artist, painted a fresco with such an uncommon theme in a small village. Probably the fresco was a homage to his mother, Romana di Renzo di Monterchi, who was born in this place.
This painting is characterized by a delicate beauty and an aura of mystery, that is to say features typical of Piero’s works, which arouse more doubts than certainties in the spectators, as I described in the post about the Brera Altarpiece.