Piero della Francesca leaves an indelible mark on the history of art, thanks to his profound understanding of perspective and light, geometric composure, and that profound sense of harmonious balance. In the warm, earthy tones that give her works an intimate and meditative atmosphere, her woman reaches the frontier of beauty, but not yet the freedom of a smile as a means of communication with others. She remains closed in on herself, impeded by a mask in her relationship with her surroundings, an aura of mystery and reserve.
Piero della Francesca introduces a "conventional" theme, but it is a ruse to bring us into his symbolic universe.
"The his women are beautiful in the face but, because of cultural conditioning, they never smile. Their eyelids are half-closed, their eyes shyly turned downward. They are precluded from expressiveness of the face and gaze as a language of communication. Women, limited by prejudice and cultural conditioning, conquer with the Renaissance the frontier of beauty, but not the freedom of the smile."
Over the centuries, many cultural prejudices have profoundly affected women's relationship with their context, often relegating them to roles of marginalization. The 15th century, however, represented a great cultural revolution, culminating in the Italian Renaissance, which celebrated the very essence of femininity.
"The beauty of the body is elevated thus to a sign of distinction, becoming an effective means for the affirmation of women's image on the social plane. It is a timid start toward that female emancipation that will receiveà from the Renaissance a stronger impetus. In the subtle language of the painter, woman protects that reserve and mystery that make her charm precious. She reaches the frontier of beauty, but remains enclosed within herself, prevented by a mask in her relationship with her surroundings, a halo of mystery of reserve."
In Ghirlandaio's works, too, portraits of Florentine women can be seen that stand out for the beauty of their faces. As with Piero della Francesca, nothing is left to chance in the depiction of the characters and costumes of the time. Those delicate depictions are bright, well-groomed, with sophisticated hairstyles. Ghirlandaio pays homage to women and their beauty, but even in these works the smile is missing, and the attitude is motionless, determined not to convey feelings.
- Taken from "Piero della Francesca's Woman is Beautiful but Never Smiles" by Manfredo Fanfani