The horse, the mace and the face: drawings by Leonardo on display at the Leonardo3 Museum in Milan

The Horse, the Mazzocchio and the Master’s Face. Milanese Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and Francesco Melzi: thus is the title of the exhibition that in Milan, from Nov. 18, 2024, to Feb. 15, 2025, the Museo Leonardo3 in Piazza Scala is displaying for the first time three original drawings from the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana: a study of a horse made around 1490 for the monument to Francesco Sforza (F 263 inf. 91) a perspective drawing of the mazzocchio (circa 1510, from the Codex Atlanticus, F. 710 a-b) and a portrait of Leonardo himself made by his favorite pupil, Francesco Melzi, between 1515 and 1518 (F 263 inf. 1 bis).

Curated by the Centro Studi Leonardo3, in the persons of director Massimiliano Lisa and scientific director Edoardo Zanon, under the supervision of Martin Kemp, professor emeritus of Oxford University and one of Leonardo’s leading experts, the exhibition celebrates the synergistic link between the Master and Milan, a key place in his artistic and scientific career.

Unseen works and interactive reconstructions

At the heart of the exhibition are the three drawings, displayed alongside more than 200 interactive machines and working physical reconstructions created by Museum scholars based on Leonardo’s studies. Prominent among them is a three-dimensional metal version of the mazzocchio, reconstructed by the Centro Studi Leonardo3. This object, derived from a complex perspective drawing contained in the Codex Atlanticus, reveals Leonardo’s scientific and creative approach.

The drawing of the mazzocchio, composed of 32 octagonal sections and accompanied by precise instructions for its creation in lead with 512 pieces, testifies to the visionary genius of the Master, who knew how to integrate art and science. This was no mere exercise on paper, since in the paper Leonardo also suggests a method for constructing his own version in lead by calculating the number of pieces needed for the operation, namely 512.

Alongside Leonardo’s studies, the exhibition includes a rare portrait of the master executed between 1515 and 1518 by Francesco Melzi, his pupil and custodian of the works after the genius’ death. This portrait, rarely exhibited to the public, offers an intimate and direct look at Leonardo, confirming the human and artistic bond that united the two.

An enrichment for the permanent collection

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Leonardo3 Museum unveiled a new interactive wall entitled I Disegni di Leonardo da Torino a Milano (Leonardo’s Drawings from Turin to Milan). The digital installation includes a selection of works from the Royal Library of Turin, the Civic Cabinet of Drawings of Castello Sforzesco and the Pinacoteca di Brera, as well as drawings from the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana.

This innovative platform allows visitors to explore the details of the works through high-definition digital reproductions, revealing thematic and technical correlations between the Master’s works and those of his workshop.

Scientific insights and publications

The exhibition benefits from the patronage of the Nuova Fondazione Rossana e Carlo Pedretti and is part of the Museum’s rich program dedicated to furthering Leonardo studies. During the presentation, a panel discussion involved experts of international caliber, such as Martin Kemp, Alessia Alberti (Civico Gabinetto dei Disegni), Isabella Fiorentini (Biblioteca Trivulziana), and Sara Taglialagamba (Fondazione Pedretti), among others.

Accompanying the exhibition, a bilingual catalog edited by Leonardo3 publishing house features contributions by Martin Kemp, Gianluca Poldi, Benedetta Spadaccini, Sara Taglialagamba, Marco Versiero and Edoardo Zanon.

The horse, the mace and the face: drawings by Leonardo on display at the Leonardo3 Museum in Milan

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