These dual portraits by Piero della Francesca of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino are one of the most popular exhibits at the Uffizi, in part because of the artist's singular style and strange juxtaposition of the couple - together and yet apart. The Duke, who lost his right eye in a jousting tournament, is positioned so that only the left side of his face shows. His damaged nose, however is clearly on display, a result of his many years as a mercenary. Later, the Duke used his ill-gotten gains to transform Urbino into a cultural center. His wife, Battista Sforza, is exceedingly pale in the painting, most likely because the portrait is a memorial to her death in 1472. Photo by Marla Norman.
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