Studies of the Musculature of a Horse's Forelegs
Metalpoint studies of the shoulder, foreleg, and hoof in profile
The Biblioteca Reale catalogues this sheet as studies of the musculature of the forelegs of a horse (dated 1480). Drawn in fine metalpoint on prepared paper, it gathers several repeated studies of a horse's foreleg seen in profile: the shoulder and upper leg with the surface muscles worked up, the lower leg, and separate studies of the fetlock and hoof. No writing appears on the sheet.
On this page
Shoulder and upper foreleg
The upper studies show the horse's shoulder, chest, and upper foreleg in profile, with the surface muscles and tendons shaded in metalpoint. The bent leg is repeated to fix its structure.
Lower leg, fetlock, and hoof
Below and to the left are more isolated studies of the lower foreleg, the fetlock joint, and the hoof. They concentrate on the bony and muscular form of the leg near the ground.