LEONARDO DA VINCI - Horizontal outrop of rock

Royal Collection (RLW), 12394r; P 53r

In its emphasis on the rectilinear arrangement of rock strata, this study powerfully expresses Leonardo's concept of rocks as the "Earth's bones." The drawing highlights the erosion caused by wind and rain, and evokes the notion of the Earth's vast organism-machine as the arena of forces regulated by universal mechanical principles.

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