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Compositional Sketches for the Virgin Adoring the Christ Child, with and without the Infant St. John the Baptist; Diagram of a Perspectival Projection (recto); Slight Doodles (verso), by Leonardo da Vinci, 1480–85

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Leonardo da Vinci

Italian, 1452–1519

Compositional Sketches for the Virgin Adoring the Christ Child, with and without the Infant St. John the Baptist; Diagram of a Perspectival Projection (recto); Slight Doodles (verso)1480–85

Silverpoint, partly reworked by the artist with pen and dark brown ink on pink prepared paper; lines ruled with metalpoint (recto); pen and brown ink (verso)

7 5/8 x 6 3/8 in. (19.3 x 16.2 cm)

Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art · 17.142.1

In quick silverpoint lines on pink prepared paper, Leonardo tries out several versions of the Virgin kneeling in adoration of the Christ Child, some with the infant John the Baptist and some without, reinforcing parts in pen and ink. More about this work

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Format

Archival pigment inks on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, a 308 gsm cotton paper, with a white border.

Size

At this size the museum's file prints at 151 ppi: sharp at arm's length, a little softer than the smaller sizes up close.

Size
11 × 14 in · image 9½ × 11¼
Paper
Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 308 gsm
Price
$38

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About this work

In quick silverpoint lines on pink prepared paper, Leonardo tries out several versions of the Virgin kneeling in adoration of the Christ Child, some with the infant John the Baptist and some without, reinforcing parts in pen and ink. On the same side of the sheet is a ruled diagram exploring perspective. Made in the early 1480s, the sketches show Leonardo thinking on paper, testing how figures might turn and interlock, themes he would develop in works such as the Virgin of the Rocks. The doodles on the back are a reminder of how constantly he drew.

Written by Ochre Editions.

How it was made

Pen and ink
Drawn with a quill or reed pen, often with wash added by brush to model light and shadow.

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian, 1452–1519 · Born in Vinci; died in Amboise.

Leonardo trained in Florence in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio and spent much of his career in Milan in the service of Ludovico Sforza, where he painted The Last Supper. Painter, engineer, anatomist and student of nature, he left relatively few finished paintings, among them the Mona Lisa, but thousands of notebook pages and drawings on every subject. His soft modelling of light and shade, called sfumato, transformed painting. He died in France at Amboise, a guest of Francis I.

Written by Ochre Editions.

See all 3 works by Leonardo da Vinci

Rights and the museum’s record

Public domain. The Met has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.

Object number
17.142.1
Credit
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Type
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
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