LEONARDO DA VINCI 1452-1519

Anonymous Italian artist, 16th century, reworked by Peter Paul RUBENS The Battle of Anghiari Black chalk, pen and brown ink, brush and brown and grey ink, grey wash, heightened with white and blue-grey 16th–17th century This drawing in black chalk and brown ink is a copy of the huge preparatory cartoon for the Battle of Anghiari, designed and made by Leonardo between 1503 and 1505 to the same scale as the planned mural – i.e. around 18 metres wide by 7 metres high.This drawing was purchased, then enhanced with pen and watercolour, by Peter Paul Rubens. Department of Prints and Drawings, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Inv. 20271 141 Leonardo da VINCI Vinci, 1452–Amboise, 1519 Study for the Battle of Anghiari Pen and brown ink About 1503–1504 Leonardo’s first ideas for The Battle of Anghiari include a magnificent series of sketches in pen and brown ink, some outlined in black chalk.Taking his free and intuitive approach to composition ( componimento inculto ), the artist strove to convey the confusion of the battle between horsemen and foot soldiers amid clouds of dust. Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, inv. 215 142