Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and His Circle - Biblioteca Reale in Turin

The Turin collection was assembled by Alberto of Savoy, who acquired an impressive collection of Leonardo’s drawings ca. 1840. As a result, the bundle of drawings by the Italian Renaissance genius in Turin makes up an important part of the works of Leonardo that remain in Italy. Due to the age and fragile state of the originals – a delicate medium – the facsimile edition offers the unique opportunity for unmitigated exploration of these masterpieces.

A Universal Genius of the Italian Renaissance

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) – a name that evokes countless associations! A gifted painter and perfect draftsman, a simultaneously inquisitive and brilliant inventor and scholar, he produced countless masterpieces – one need think only of the famous portrait the Mona Lisa or the iconic mural painting The Last Supper – and groundbreaking technical inventions. The basis of this extensive work is made up of drawings, sketches, records, and notes, recorded on individual sheets or in notebooks.

The Unbelievable Graphic work

The Florentine publisher Giunti Editore was entrusted in the year 1964 with the task of making this comprehensive treasure, distributed in collections around the world, available in a large facsimile edition. The impressive National Edition of the manuscripts and drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, also known as the Leonardo Codices: the first and only comprehensive reproduction of the Italian universal genius’ manuscripts and drawings!

Studies, Drafts, and a Self-Portrait

Leonardo’s drawings from the world’s great collections are presented in six volumes. The volume at hand assembles the drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin. Numerous famous and unknown sheets from the master’s hand are presented on 23 boards: the famous drawn self-portrait being a highpoint inter alia. Additionally, the bundle includes a study of the paintings of the Virgin of the Rocks in the Louvre. The so-called Codex Saluzzo 312 rounds out the Turin Leonardo’s graphics, a 19th century volume with Leonardo’s designs for military architecture.