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.

The sketch reproduced on Pl.  LV gives a suggestive example of the way in which foot-soldiers may have been introduced into the cartoon as fighting among the groups of horsemen; and I may here take the opportunity of mentioning that, for reasons which it would be out of place to enlarge upon here, I believe the two genuine drawings by Raphael’s hand in his “Venetian sketch-book” as it is called—­one of a standard bearer marching towards the left, and one of two foot-soldiers armed with spears and fighting with a horseman—­to be undoubtedly copies from the cartoon of the Battle of Anghiari.

Leonardo’s two drawings, preserved in the museum at Buda-Pesth and reproduced on pages 338 and 339 are preliminary studies for the heads of fighting warriors.  The two heads drawn in black chalk (pg. 338) and the one seen in profile, turned to the left, drawn in red chalk (pg. 339), correspond exactly with those of two horsemen in the scene of the fight round the standard as we see them in Madame Timbal’s picture and in the other finished copies.  An old copy of the last named drawing by a pupil of Leonardo is in MS. C. A. 187b; 561b (See Saggio, Tav.  XXII).  Leonardo used to make such finished studies of heads as those, drawn on detached sheets, before beginning his pictures from his drawings—­compare the preparatory studies for the fresco of the Last Supper, given on Pl.  XLVII and Pl.  L. Other drawings of heads, all characterised by the expression of vehement excitement that is appropriate to men fighting, are to be seen at Windsor (No. 44) and at the Accademia at Venice (IV, 13); at the back of one of the drawings at Buda-Pesth there is the bust of a warrior carrying a spear on his left shoulder, holding up the left arm (See Csatakepek a XVI—­lk Szazadbol osszeallitotta Pvlszky Karoly).  These drawings may have been made for other portions of the cartoon, of which no copies exist, and thus we are unable to identify these preparatory drawings.  Finally I may add that a sketch of fighting horse and foot soldiers, formerly in the possession of M. Thiers and published by Charles Blanc in his “Vies des Peintres” can hardly be accepted as genuine.  It is not to be found, as I am informed, among the late President’s property, and no one appears to know where it now is.

An attempted reconstruction of the Cartoon, which is not only unsuccessful but perfectly unfounded, is to be seen in the lithograph by Bergeret, published in Charles Blanc’s “Vies des peintres” and reprinted in “The great Artists.  L. da Vinci”, p. 80.  This misleading pasticcio may now be rejected without hesitation.

There are yet a few original drawings by Leonardo which might be mentioned here as possibly belonging to the cartoon of the Battle; such as the pen and ink sketches on Pl.  XXI and on Pl.  XXXVIII, No. 3, but we should risk too wide a departure from the domain of ascertained fact.

With regard to the colours and other materials used by Leonardo the reader may be referred to the quotations from the accounts for the picture in question given by Milanesi in his edition of Vasari (Vol.  IV, p. 44, note) where we find entries of a similar character to those in Leonardo’s note books for the year 1505; S. K. M. 12 (see No. 636).

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