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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Recto: Notes on the muscles of the mouth. Verso: The foetal blood supply of the cow c.1508

Recto: Pen and with with faint traces of black chalk. Verso: Pen and ink | 19.0 x 14.0 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 919046

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  • A folio from Leonardo's 'Anatomical Manuscript B'.

    Recto: a slight sketch indicating the actions of the muscles of the lips; notes on the muscles of the mouth in various expressions and actions; these have written over two faint sketches showing the uterus of a cow.

    Verso: a diagrammatic drawing showing the structure of the umbilical cord, probably of an ox or a sheep, and its system of blood vessels; a small diagram of a bovine placenta; notes on the drawings.

    These studies were presumably based on the same dissection of a gravid cow recorded in 919055, and can best be understood by comparison with that sheet. The main drawing centres on the umbilical cord, shown unnaturally short, but correctly with two arteries and two veins (in humans there are two arteries but only one vein). Above the umbilicus of the calf, the umbilical vein travels upwards to ramify within the liver; below, on either side of the cord, are two pairs of vessels, the umbilical arteries and (imaginary) accompanying veins, leading to the internal iliac arteries and veins on either side of the calf’s body (the adult remnants of the umbilical arteries are shown on 919039v and 919021r). At the lower, maternal end of the umbilical cord, a short bridge (the Hyrtl anastomosis) can be seen between each pair of arteries and veins. These vessels then ramify within the fetal membranes, each branching pair of arteries and veins terminating at a cotyledenous placenta (not shown). An individual cotyledon is shown in the detail at centre right, with the upper, maternal part represented as a disc with holes, peeling away from the lower, fetal part to reveal its ‘digitation’.

    In the long note below, Leonardo analyses the ramification of the placental vessels, and describes the phenomenon of the infant born in its amniotic sac:

    "This umbilical vein is the origin of all the veins of the animal which is generated in the womb, and it does not take any origin from any vein of the gravid woman because each of these veins is entirely separated and divided from the veins of the gravid woman. ... And of the [placental] ramifications drawn here, those which extend upwards are ordained for the nourishment of the third fine membrane of the uterus [decidua] and the lower vessels placed obliquely are those which nourish the outermost membrane which is in contact with the animal [foetal amnion], which is clothed by it. And both one and the other of these membranes often emerge together with the creature out of the womb of the mother. This happens when the animal cannot rupture them for then it emerges clothed in them. And this easily happens because these two very thin membranes are in no place united with the womb, which is itself composed of two further membranes which are very thick, fleshy and sinewy [decidua and muscular uterine wall]."

    Text from M. Clayton and R. Philo, Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist, London 2012
    Provenance

    Bequeathed to Francesco Melzi; from whose heirs purchased by Pompeo Leoni, c.1582-90; Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, by 1630; Probably acquired by Charles II; Royal Collection by 1690

  • Medium and techniques

    Recto: Pen and with with faint traces of black chalk. Verso: Pen and ink

    Measurements

    19.0 x 14.0 cm (sheet of paper)


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