LEONARDO da Vinci
(b. 1452, Vinci, d. 1519, Cloux, near Amboise)

Fruit, vegetables and other studies

1487-89
Pen and ink on paper, 235 x 176 mm
Institut de France, Paris

The pods and fruit are painted in colour over an ink blot. This "watercolour" is unique amongst Leonardo's surviving works on paper and can, together with the lunettes of the Last Supper, be considered a precursor of the still-life genre.

The sheet is part of the oldest remaining manuscript by Leonardo. In addition to architectural studies, the codex also contains designs for military equipment and flying machines.




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