Niccolo Da Tolentino Painting in Santa Maria del Fiore, Firenze

This early trompe d'oeil painting by Andrea Castagno uses perspective and marble-coloured paint in order to create the illusion that it is a three-dimensional funerary equestrian statute. The technique of trompe d'oeil painting, still in its infancy, had not yet been perfected and Castagno makes the mistake of selecting two unifying points, one for the horse and one for the plinth. The painting, completed in 1456, was paid for by public subscription and placed above Niccolo da Tolentino's tomb in the Santa Maria del Fiore. Niccolo was a successful mercenary who lead the Florentine army from 1423 to 1434, winning several major battles before being captured by his enemies and thrown off a high cliff. Remarkably he survived the fall but died one year later from gangrenous wounds.

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