Eastern Trees and the Effect of Viewpoint
Light around their shadows, and how a high or low eye changes them
This red-chalk page treats trees seen toward the rising sun, whose light wraps around their shadows on every side except toward the ground, unless the tree was pruned the previous year. Trees to the south and north are described as half shadowed and half lit, varying with their orientation. Leonardo adds that a high viewpoint shows a tree with few shadows and a low one with many, and closes by noting that the greens of plants differ as much as their species do. The sheet carries only text, in mirror script.
On this page
Light rings the shadows of east-facing trees
Trees seen toward the rising sun have light surrounding their shadows on every side except toward the ground, unless the tree was pruned the previous year. Trees to the south and north are half shadowed and half lit, more or less so according to their orientation east or west.
A high or low eye changes the amount of shadow
The height of the viewpoint alters the shadows and lights seen on a tree. A high eye sees the tree with few shadows, while a low eye sees it with many.
Each species of plant has its own green
The greens of plants are as varied as their species are varied.