The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 360 pages of information about The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1.

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 360 pages of information about The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1.

[Footnote:  Compare the drawings and the text belonging to them on Pl.  IX. (No. 315), Pl.  X (No. 316), Pl.  XL (No. 318) and Pl.  XII.  (No. 319).]

Therefore when you have sketched the face draw lines passing from one corner of the eye to the other; and so for the placing of each feature; and after having drawn the ends of the lines beyond the two sides of the face, look if the spaces inside the same parallel lines on the right and on the left are equal [12].  But be sure to remember to make these lines tend to the point of sight.

[Footnote:  See Pl.  XXXI, No. 4, the slight sketch on the left hand side.  The text of this passage is written by the side of it.  In this sketch the lines seem intentionally incorrect and converging to the right (compare I. 12) instead of parallel.  Compare too with this text the drawing in red chalk from Windsor Castle which is reproduced on Pl.  XL, No. 2.]

Of the light on the face (574-576).

574.

HOW TO KNOW WHICH SIDE OF AN OBJECT IS TO BE MORE OR LESS LUMINOUS
THAN THE OTHER.

Let f be the light, the head will be the object illuminated by it and that side of the head on which the rays fall most directly will be the most highly lighted, and those parts on which the rays fall most aslant will be less lighted.  The light falls as a blow might, since a blow which falls perpendicularly falls with the greatest force, and when it falls obliquely it is less forcible than the former in proportion to the width of the angle. Exempli gratia if you throw a ball at a wall of which the extremities are equally far from you the blow will fall straight, and if you throw the ball at the wall when standing at one end of it the ball will hit it obliquely and the blow will not tell.

[Footnote:  See Pl.  XXXI.  No. 4; the sketch on the right hand side.]

575.

THE PROOF AND REASON WHY AMONG THE ILLUMINATED PARTS CERTAIN
PORTIONS ARE IN HIGHER LIGHT THAN OTHERS.

Since it is proved that every definite light is, or seems to be, derived from one single point the side illuminated by it will have its highest light on the portion where the line of radiance falls perpendicularly; as is shown above in the lines a g, and also in a h and in l a; and that portion of the illuminated side will be least luminous, where the line of incidence strikes it between two more dissimilar angles, as is seen at b c d.  And by this means you may also know which parts are deprived of light as is seen at m k.

Where the angles made by the lines of incidence are most equal there will be the highest light, and where they are most unequal it will be darkest.

I will make further mention of the reason of reflections.

[Footnote:  See Pl.  XXXII.  The text, here given complete, is on the right hand side.  The small circles above the beginning of lines 5 and 11 as well as the circle above the text on Pl.  XXXI, are in a paler ink and evidently added by a later hand in order to distinguish the text as belonging to the Libro di Pittura (see Prolegomena.  No. 12, p. 3).  The text on the left hand side of this page is given as Nos. 577 and 137.]

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The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.