Friday 16 August 2024

Leonardo Da Vinci’s, Three Emblems c1508 - 10 

Pen and ink, blue body colour, wash of ground red chalk (?)

“Each of these three emblems has the theme of constancy.

At the top is a plough with the motto Hostinato rigore (Obstinate Rigour)At the centre is a compass mounted on a shaft geared in a very Leonardesque manner to a water wheel; the wheel is being turned by the water flowing below, But though this rotates the body of the compass, the needle points steadily at the sun.  Beneath is the motto Destinato rigore, roughly ‘determined rigour’…Below, a candle at the centre of a lamp is blown by the eight winds and yet remains upright.”

Leonardo D Vinci A Life in Drawing, Martin Clayton

For me, the upper part of columns in the lamp looks to be in the style of doric or ionic.

I have superimposed a yellow brolly fabric in the candle section of the lamp.


 

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