The following manuscript will be on display in the exhibition : A Mind in Motion from 7 June 2019 to 8 September 2019

The , Seattle, Bill Gates Collection (Codex Leicester, sheets 3A-3B (ff. 34r-v and 3r-v), 5A-5B (ff. 32r-v and 5r-v), 7A-7B (ff. 30r-v and 7r-v), 8A-8B (ff. 29r-v and 8r-v), 12A-12B (ff. 25r-v and 12r-v), 13A-13B (ff. 24r-v and 13r-v), 14A- 14B (ff. 23r-v and 14r-v), 15A-15B (ff. 22r-v and 15r-v)

The Codex Leicester is a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. It is mainly devoted to the study of water and the causes and effects of its movement, but also includes astronomical and geological studies. The Codex consists of 18 double-sided sheets of paper and is currently disbound. It includes many diagrams in addition to the text, which is written in mirror-script.

i. type of object: manuscript ii. description of the material: ink and paper iii. identity and nationality of creators: Leonardo da Vinci, Italian iv. the title: The Codex Leicester (also briefly known as the Codex Hammer) v. page dimensions: approximately 300 x 450 mm vi. date: c. 1506-10

Sheets from the Codex Leicester (Seattle, Bill Gates Collection, Codex Leicester, ff32v-5r, ff34v-3r, ff13v-24r) © bgC3

At some point after the death of Leonardo da Vinci in 1519, the Codex came into the possession of the Italian sculptor, Guglielmo della Porta (c. 1515-1577). It was acquired by the painter Giuseppe Ghezzi (1634-1721) in in c. 1689-90.

Around 1716, the Codex was purchased in Italy by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (1697–1759), after whom it is named. It was kept at Holkham Hall in England, until 1980 when it was sold at auction to Armand Hammer. In 1994, the Codex was purchased by Bill Gates, the current owner.

References

Michael Desmond and Carlo Pedretti, Leonardo da Vinci: The Codex Leicester: Notebook of a Genius (Sydney: Powerhouse, 2000).

Paolo Galluzi, Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester. Water as Microscope of Nature (Florence: Giunti, 2018).

Domenico Laurenza, Leonardo da Vinci: The Codex Leicester (Florence: Giunti, 2018).

Carlo Pedretti, The Codex Hammer of Leonardo da Vinci, (Florence: Giunti Barbèra, 1987).

Jane Roberts, Leonardo da Vinci: the Codex Hammer formerly the Codex Leicester (Los Angeles: Royal Academy of Arts, 1981).

Should you have any questions regarding the loan of this item please contact Kristian Jensen, Head of Collections and Curation, [email protected].