Irradiation: dark and light objects against contrasting grounds
A dark object on a light ground looks smaller; a light object on a dark ground looks larger
Opening with the maxim that nature is full of infinite reasons never yet met in experience, Leonardo states the optical effect later called irradiation: a dark object seen against a light ground appears smaller than it is, while a light object seen against a darker ground appears of greater size. A small decorative fret or meander motif is inked in the middle of the sheet. The page carries further writing beyond the transcribed passage.
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A dark object on a light ground looks smaller
When a dark thing is seen against a light ground it shows itself smaller than it truly is. The observation is offered as one of nature's countless reasons not yet found in experience.
A light object on a dark ground looks larger
A light thing seen against a ground of darker colour shows itself of greater figure. The paired rules give the painter a caution about how a subject's apparent size shifts with the tone of its background.
Decorative fret motif
A small ornamental motif of interlocking right-angled strokes, like a fret or meander knot, is drawn in the middle of the page. It stands apart from the surrounding notes.