Learning by copying is a standard teaching method, both in the eighteenth century and today. In this example Princess Augusta, the second daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte, has used a chalk drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) as the model for an etching (RCIN 912556). The slight difference in scale between the two demonstrates that Princess Augusta copied rather than traced the drawing. Leonardo’s original is among the unparalleled holdings of the artist’s work which have been in the Royal Collection since the late seventeenth century. Rather than seeking to emulate the soft, smooth effects Leonardo produced with coloured chalks, Princess Augusta embraces the linear qualities of etching and uses cross-hatching to create the impression of contours and depth. Princess Augusta’s pride in her work is evident through the inclusion of her monogram AS [Augusta Sophia] at lower left and lower right. Leonardo was not the only artist with work in the Royal Collection who inspired the princesses. Their copies after Giulio Clovio (1498 – 1578), Marco Ricci (1676 – 1730), and Benjamin West (1738 – 1820) among others, can be found in the Royal Collection today.