Feathers from the Angel's Wing
Poems Inspired by the Paintings of Piero della Francesca
9 February 2016
Description
Poems from twenty-eight acclaimed writers moved by the great artist’s frescoes, accompanied by twelve color reproductions of the paintings.
In this exquisite anthology, esteemed poets from America, Italy, and elsewhere follow the renowned Piero Trail, a route through Tuscany and Umbria that features some of the most acclaimed frescoes by the legendary Renaissance painter, Piero della Francesca. The resulting poems—including ones by Henri Cole, Jorie Graham, Charles Wright, and Patti Smtih—capture Piero’s incomparable influence in the artistic, literary, and spiritual worlds, generated as they are by the transcendence of Piero’s timeless powers. Including twelve reproductions of Piero’s frescoes, a foreword by Rosanna Warren, and an introduction by anthologist Dana Prescott, Feathers from the Angel’s Wing is unforgettable collection, a book to be cherished by lovers of art, artists, and the spirits that move them.
Reviews
"This beautifully designed poetry anthology. . .joins other important ekphrastic collections, like Ed Hirsch’s Transforming Visions: Writers on Art and Emily Fragos’ Art and Artists: Poems, collections that connect the eye with the word. . . . The strategies these poets use to enter Piero della Francesca’s works are wildly diverse, but all convey a reverence for the Italian artist’s craftsmanship and simplicity. Their modern responses to this beloved Renaissance painter . . . suggest the depth and timeless quality of his vision." — Lisa Mullenneaux, Harvard Review Online