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| Fragment of a Drawing of Pulcinella by Leonardo da Vinci, 1490 Crown Copyright The Royal Collection Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
From the Royal Collection, here’s a very interesting pen and ink drawing. Created in 1490, here is Leonardo da Vinci’s idea of Pulcinella’s traditional grotesque visage.
The work was acquired by Charles II, King of Great Britain (1630-85), who purchased it from Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel. The early history of this fragment is unknown, really. By 1582, it was in the collection of Francesco Melzi from whose heirs the drawing was purchased by Pompeo Leoni. How the piece came into the hands of the Earl of Arundel us unknown. Da Vinci depicts Pulcinella in profile to the left. Only this fragment—with odd intersecting lines drawn on the verso—remains of the original drawing which is believed to have been from da Vinci’s “Codex Atlanticus,” folio 173 verso-a.
At some point in the last five-hundred and some years, someone--while cataloging this in the Royal Collection--wrote a number on Pulcinella's chin (either 29 or 24). Why? I'm sure Queen Mary would have clobbered them if she knew.
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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection |
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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection |
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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection |
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