That Leonardo was employed in designing decorations and other preparations for high festivals, particularly for the court of Milan, we learn not only from the writings of his contemporaries but from his own incidental allusions; for instance in MS. C. l5b (1), l. 9.  In the arrangement of the texts referring to this I have placed those first, in which historical personages are named—­Nos. 670-674.  Among the descriptions of Allegorical subjects two texts lately found at Oxford have been included, Nos. 676 and 677.  They are particularly interesting because they are accompanied by large sketches which render the meaning of the texts perfectly clear.  It is very intelligible that in other cases, where there are no illustrative sketches, the notes must necessarily remain obscure or admit of various interpretations.  The literature of the time affords ample evidence of the use of such allegorical representations, particularly during the Carnival and in Leonardo’s notes we find the Carnival expressly mentioned—­Nos. 685 and 704.  Vasari in his Life of Pontormo, particularly describes that artist’s various undertakings for Carnival festivities.  These very graphic descriptions appear to me to throw great light in more ways than one on the meaning of Leonardo’s various notes as to allegorical representations and also on mottoes and emblems—­Nos. 681-702.  In passing judgment on the allegorical sketches and emblems it must not be overlooked that even as pictures they were always accompanied by explanations in words.  Several finished drawings of allegorical compositions or figures have been preserved, but as they have no corresponding explanation in the MSS. they had no claim to be reproduced here.  The female figure on Pl.  XXVI may perhaps be regarded as a study for such an allegorical painting, of which the purport would have been explained by an inscription.

On Madonna pictures.

663.

[In the autumn of] 1478 I began the two Madonna [pictures].

[Footnote:  Photographs of this page have been published by BRAUN, No. 439, and PHILPOT, No. 718.

1. Incominciai.  We have no other information as to the two pictures of the Madonna here spoken of.  As Leonardo here tells us that he had begun two Madonnas at the same time, the word ‘incominciai’ may be understood to mean that he had begun at the same time preparatory studies for two pictures to be painted later.  If this is so, the non-existence of the pictures may be explained by supposing that they were only planned and never executed.  I may here mention a few studies for pictures of the Madonna which probably belong to this early time; particularly a drawing in silver-point on bluish tinted paper at Windsor—­see Pl.  XL, No. 3—­, a drawing of which the details have almost disappeared in the original but have been rendered quite distinct in the reproduction; secondly a slight pen and ink sketch in, the Codex VALLARDI, in the Louvre, fol.