Global context · 29 October 2026

Largest Ever Piero della Francesca Exhibition to Open at London’s National Gallery

The National Gallery in London will host the largest exhibition dedicated to Italian Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca from October 2027 to January 2028, featuring major loans from international collections.

The National Gallery in London has announced it will present the largest exhibition ever devoted to Piero della Francesca, a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance. Scheduled to run from 2 October 2027 to 30 January 2028, the exhibition will bring together a significant group of paintings and manuscripts, with key works on loan from renowned institutions worldwide.

Among the highlights are The Urbino Diptych—portraits of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza—on loan from the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence. The entire Perugia Altarpiece (Pala di Perugia), from the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, will also be included. Another major loan is the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels, dating from around 1460–70, from the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

The National Gallery’s own collection will be represented by three central works: Baptism of Christ (probably about 1437–45), Saint Michael (1469), and The Nativity (early 1480s). In addition, the exhibition will feature a digital version of The Legend of the True Cross, the celebrated fresco cycle from the Bacci Chapel of the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo.

The exhibition is structured around seven core aspects of Piero’s art: colour, design, space, perspective, narrative, and light. This thematic approach is intended to explore the defining elements of Piero della Francesca’s artistic practice. Piero was also known as a mathematical theorist and authored the treatise De prospectiva pingendi (around 1474), which addressed the creation of three-dimensional illusions on flat surfaces and techniques for painting faces.

The exhibition is co-curated by Laura Llewellyn, curator of Italian paintings before 1500 at the National Gallery, and Machtelt Brüggen Israëls of the Rijksmuseum and the University of Amsterdam. Support for the exhibition comes from sponsors including Intesa Sanpaolo bank and philanthropist John J. Studzinski.

This event offers a rare opportunity to view a comprehensive selection of Piero della Francesca’s works in one location, providing insight into both his artistic achievements and his contributions to Renaissance theory.

Why it matters

This exhibition offers art enthusiasts and scholars in Singapore and internationally a unique opportunity to engage with the work of Piero della Francesca, a pivotal figure in Renaissance art and theory. By assembling a wide range of his paintings and manuscripts, including major international loans, the National Gallery provides valuable insight into his techniques and influence. The thematic focus on the core aspects of his art enhances understanding of Renaissance artistic principles, making this a significant event for audiences interested in art history and visual culture.

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