Paolo Uccello – The Battle of San Romano
This is another piece that reminds me of my childhood and which I feel similarly drawn to. Bizarrely we used to have a biscuit tin at home printed with its image and I have a very early memory of developing a fascination with the central mounted figure and wondering why he alone wore what appeared to be a tea-cosy on his head. The painting itself is an early masterpiece of foreshortening and perspective, the jostling, warring figures so real you can almost hear the clash of steel and the fraught tangle of battle. Today I always make a point of showing it to my own son whenever we visit, telling him about the old family biscuit tin and watching his little face light up with wonder and fascination, safe in the sly knowledge that small boys of all eras are drawn to the same sort of things and enjoying being part of some sort of generational link, something bigger than myself.