The cannon foundry
Manuscripts in the Royal Library, London, Windsor Castle.
Successively owned by the sculptor and book lover, Pompeo Leoni, the leading English collector, Lord Arundel, who purchased them in Spain and by the painter, Peter Lely, they entered the collection of Charles 1st of England in the second half of the 17th century. "This precious curiosity" disappeared during the English civil war before reappearing in the mid-18th century at Kensington Palace in a "large and sturdy chest", as recorded in a document of the time. Around 600 drawings cover the period 1478 to 1518. They are now grouped together by theme, landscapes and nature, animals, portraits and anatomy.
Quill and brown wash, 32.9 x 48 cm.
Windsor Castle, Royal Library, RL 12647
The cannon drawn by Leonardo seems massive in relation to the men in attendance. This excess means that there would be little possibility of smelting or using an artillery piece of this kind. But Leonardo often submitted extraordinary projects to princes. His staging and multiple realistic details, such as the beams in the foreground or ropes, no doubt lent them a certain credibility.
