Page 283 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

It has been argued (Mancini 1979) that the 182 fallen into a pool are of three kinds, and to these a
domestic buildings the map records in the town fourth is added, which is that of the air in becom-
do not include most of those erected during the Leonardo da Vinci ing submerged in the water, and this is the first
preceding quarter-century and that the map was Florentine, 1452-1519 in action and it will be the first to be defined.
actually made in 1472 by the Milanese architect STUDIES OF WATER PASSING OBSTACLES The second is that of the air after it has been sub-
and military engineer, Domenico Maineri, with, AND FALLING INTO A POOL merged, and the third is that of the reflected
at most, retouchings by Leonardo. The existence water as it returns the compressed air to the other
of preparatory studies by Leonardo and the c. 1508 air. Such water then emerges in the shape of large
entirely characteristic handling of the graphic pen and brown ink over traces of black chalk bubbles, acquiring weight in the air and on this
media throughout the sheet —in particular the on paper account falls back through the surface of the
"living" quality with which the flat features are 29.8 X 20.J (l! /4 X 8Vs) water, penetrating as far as the bottom, and it
3
imbued — indicate almost beyond doubt that Leo- inscribed with notes on hydrodynamics percusses and consumes the bottom. The fourth
nardo was the sole author of the map of Imola. references: Popham 1946, 281; Clark and Pedretti is the eddying motion made on the surface of the
The main function of his representation was most 1968-1969, i266ov; Pedretti 1982, q.2r; London pool of water, which returns directly to the loca-
likely to record the present disposition of the 1989, 61 tion of its fall, as the lowest place interposed
defensive structures for his warlike patron, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth n, Royal Library, between the reflected water and the incident air.
it may be that he took advantage of a previous Windsor Castle A fifth motion will be added, called the swelling
record of the domestic buildings to simplify his motion, which is the motion made by the
task in delineating the less important structures. This most elaborate of Leonardo's water studies reflected water when it brings the air that is sub-
M.K. (Windsor iz66ov) is part of a set of investigations merged within it to the surface of the water/' The
undertaken in MS F (Institut de France, dated drawing represents a complex synthesis of three
1508) and other sheets at Windsor (for example, main factors: Leonardo's intense scrutiny of water
an
12659 d 12661-12663). The main drawing is in action during patient hours of observation; his
synthesized from separate studies of the vortices knowledge of dynamic theory in the Aristotelian
of water and the behavior of air bubbles. The tradition of the late Middle Ages; and his own
note acknowledges the composite nature of this rational classification of the variables. The result
demonstration: "The motions of water that has should in no sense be taken as a direct study of a

282 CIRCA 1492