Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): Notebook
Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook
British Library Arundel MS 263
Copyright © The British Library Board
A high-quality version of this image can be purchased from British Library Images Online. For more information email imagesonline@bl.uk
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest thinkers of his age and this notebook shows the breadth of his interests. It is one of several notebooks put together from loose papers after Leonardo’s death. His intention seems to have been to compose a treatise on mechanics, although it covers a multitude of topics. The text, in Italian, is in Leonardo's characteristic 'mirror writing', written left-handed and from right to left. The manuscript was probably acquired by Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel (1586-1646).
