Exaltation of the Cross

c. 1466 - Fresco, 390 x 747 cm - San Francesco, Arezzo

This is the last episode of the cycle. The portrait of the Emperor is now indistinguishable. The Oriental gentlemen wear Greek style headgear, and their exotic elegance was admired by all the Florentine gentlemen of the time. Piero's interest in these large cylindrical or pyramidal hats is the same that Paolo Uccello showed for the complicated armours of the warriors of his time: they were both attracted by the study of forms and perspectives. The clothes colours are bright: in the afternoon light and under the blue sky they go from blue to violet, from bright green to pearl-white. The scene confirms Piero's inclination to describe an ideal man, healthy and strong, with a calm expression, relaxed and composed. The characters have the look of mature men, at ease with themselves.