Dennis Geronimus

This book project explores the works of the Florentine painter Piero di Cosimo (1462-1522), arguably the most elusive artistic personality of the Italian Renaissance. Combining a variety of methods to match the multifaceted subject matter of this master of fantasy, I offer new insights into Piero's biography and patterns of patronage; Piero's advances in portraiture; his links to art north of the Alps; the use of visual narrative forms and literary sources in his myths; devotional images for private and church settings; and his artistic legacy. From a broader historical perspective, in introducing to the reading public the most accurate portrait of this unique personality to date I hope to provide a richly nuanced account of the social functions of image-making in the early modern period.