Piero (9) Piero della Francesca (1415/17-1492)

The drawing presents a technical diagram illustrating the interplay of light and shadow within a portico structure. The composition is dominated by linear elements, meticulously charting the planes of shadows cast upon architectural surfaces. A central figure, depicted in simplified form, stands beneath the portico’s overhang. Lines extend from an unseen light source (indicated by I) to define the boundaries of these shadowed areas, creating a complex geometric network across the scene.
The artists focus is clearly on spatial analysis rather than emotive representation. The figure appears as a functional marker within this system, serving primarily to ground the diagram’s calculations. There is an absence of detail in the rendering of both the architecture and the human form; they are reduced to essential shapes necessary for understanding the shadow patterns.
The inscription at the bottom identifies the work as a study related to Pieros Flagellation by Thomas V. Czarnowski, suggesting that this diagram was created to deconstruct and understand the lighting conditions within that larger artwork. The subtext here lies in the artist’s methodical approach to visual perception – an attempt to quantify and represent the effects of light on form through a precise, almost scientific methodology. It reveals a concern with the underlying structure of pictorial space rather than its aesthetic qualities.