Windmill Parts, a Divided Square and a Compartmented Beam
Pen sketch of a windmill mechanism with a red-chalk note that fear arises soonest
The center of the leaf carries a pen sketch of a windmill, its crossed sails and central post, which Leonardo labels simply as parts of a windmill. At the upper right a square is divided in half by a diagonal (a-b), while along the left edge, drawn sideways, a compartmented beam is lettered a b c d and noted as 14 braccia long and 3 wide. In red chalk, written upside down, runs the prophetic line that fear arises sooner than anything else. A further small framed sketch stands at the upper right.
On this page
Parts of a windmill
A windmill mechanism is drawn at the center of the sheet, its crossed sails and central post rendered in pen. Leonardo captions the study simply as parts of a windmill. No text describes the individual parts.
Square divided in half
A square is ruled and divided in half by a diagonal, the two points marked a and b. The small construction sits at the upper right of the leaf.
Compartmented beam, 14 braccia long
Turned sideways along the left edge, a long beam is drawn divided into compartments and lettered a b c d. A note gives its length as 14 braccia and its width as 3.
Prophecy: fear arises soonest
In red chalk, written upside down relative to the pen studies, is the terse line that fear arises sooner than anything else. It reads as one of Leonardo's prophetic aphorisms.