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Library/Paris Manuscript L/164

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Paris Manuscript L — 164

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Bibliothèque de l'Institut de France, Paris

Schizzo cartografico esteso al f. 78 v, con:

cittadella1

De pittura.

Necessaria cosa è al pittore per essere bon membrificatore nell'attitudine e gesti che far si possono per li nudi, di sapere la notomia di nervi, ossi, muscoli e lacerti per sapere nelli diversi movimenti e forze qual nervo o muscolo è di tal movimento causa, e sol quegli fare evidenti e ingrossati e non li altri per tutto, come molti fanno, che per parere gran disegnatori, fanno i loro inudi legnosi e sanza grazia, che pare a vederli un sacco di noci più presto che superfizie umana, ovvero un fascio di ravanelli più presto che muscolosi nudi.

Planimetria.

Cartographic sketch continued onto f. 78v, with:

citadel

On painting.

It is necessary for the painter, in order to be a good composer of limbs in the attitudes and gestures that can be made in nudes, to know the anatomy of the nerves, bones, muscles and tendons, so as to know, in the various movements and exertions, which nerve or muscle is the cause of a given movement, and to make only those prominent and thickened and not all the others everywhere, as many do who, to seem great draughtsmen, make their nudes wooden and without grace, so that to see them they look like a sack of nuts rather than a human surface, or a bundle of radishes rather than muscular nudes.

Ground plan.

On painting: knowing anatomy to render nudes

The painter must know nerves, bones and muscles; with a citadel sketch and a ground plan

Painting & Perspective Figure Studies Anatomy Cartography

The main text is a passage 'On painting' arguing that a painter, to render the limbs, attitudes and gestures of nudes well, must know the anatomy of nerves, bones, muscles and tendons, making only the muscles active in a given movement prominent. Leonardo mocks draughtsmen whose nudes look like a sack of nuts or a bundle of radishes rather than muscular human surface. The block also notes a cartographic (citadel) sketch continued from f. 78v, and a small ground plan is drawn at the left.

On this page

On painting: anatomy in the service of the nude

It is necessary for the painter, to be a good composer of limbs in the attitudes and gestures of nudes, to know anatomy. Only the muscles responsible for a given movement should be made prominent and thickened, not all of them everywhere.

Nudes without grace: a sack of nuts or a bundle of radishes

Leonardo criticises those who, to appear great draughtsmen, make their nudes wooden and graceless, so that they look like a sack of nuts rather than a human surface, or a bundle of radishes rather than muscular nudes.

Knowledge of nerves, bones, muscles and tendons

The passage requires the painter to know the anatomy of the nerves, bones, muscles and tendons, so as to identify which nerve or muscle causes a given movement or exertion.

Citadel sketch continued from f. 78v

The block records a cartographic sketch, labelled 'citadel', that continues from the facing folio 78v. A small ground plan with circular fittings is drawn at the left of the leaf.

Reader's Edition — described with AI from the e-Leo transcription.