The drawing depicts an assault chariot devised by Leonardo da Vinci, fitted with scythe-like side blades and conceived as a war machine. Its careful composition and graphic clarity suggest that it was intended to impress a patron, perhaps Ludovico il Moro, to whom Leonardo presented himself as a military engineer and architect. Rather than a detailed technical design, the image appears to be a demonstration of Leonardo's ingenuity and artistic skill, intended to exalt the visual power of his inventions.
It is not certain whether the chariot represents an original idea or an adaptation of the scythed chariots described in classical texts, which were known to the artist. In any case, the work bears witness to Leonardo's interest in military engineering and in the interplay of art, technology and visual propaganda, elements that characterise many of his proposals to the powerful figures of his time.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
