Studies of a Roller Mechanism, a Structure and Foliage
Mechanical and architectural sketches above a soft study of foliage, with mirror-script notes
The upper half of the sheet carries pen sketches of a mechanical assembly, with cylindrical rollers and a long inclined beam running down to the right, alongside a small structure pierced by an arched opening and a separate cylindrical or conical component drawn below. In the lower half a large, softly worked study in black chalk suggests dense foliage or the crown of a tree, and a tiny profile head is drawn faintly at the left. The sheet also bears several lines of Leonardo's mirror-script at the top and left margin; that text is not included in this bundle and is not transcribed here.
On this page
Roller mechanism with an inclined beam
A mechanism is sketched in pen with two horizontal cylindrical rollers set in a frame, from which a long beam or bar rises diagonally toward the upper right and descends again to a hanging element at lower right. The construction lines are quick and exploratory rather than finished.
Small structure with an arched opening
To the left of the mechanism a small squarish structure is drawn in elevation, its front face pierced by a rounded arched opening. It reads as a compact building or furnace-like block rather than a full building plan.
Soft study of foliage
The lower half of the leaf is filled by a large, cloud-like mass worked in soft black chalk, its rounded lobes suggesting dense foliage or the canopy of a tree tapering to a narrow base below. The medium and touch differ markedly from the pen sketches above.
Faint profile head
A small head in profile is drawn lightly at the left, below the block of mirror-script. It is faint and summary, a jotted aside among the technical sketches.
