What is a cartoon? | Leonardo da Vinci’s Burlington House Cartoon

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham

Leonardo’s Cartoon of The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist

A large drawing by Leonardo da Vinci shows an intimate grouping of figures: Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus Christ, and John the Baptist. The work is known as a “cartoon,” a full-scale drawing used to plan and execute a painting or tapestry. This Renaissance cartoon was made in the early 1500s.

In this video, we learn about cartoons, including what they can teach us about an artist’s approach and why this one is so special. As the only surviving large-scale cartoon by Leonardo, it is a rare and valuable record of his artistic ingenuity.

Video Chapters

00:00 A Family in Charcoal

0:48 What is a Cartoon?

1:20 Built from Pieces

1:32 A Rare Survivor

2:05 A Presentation Piece?

2:18 Leonardo’s Approach to Art

2:58 Thinking on Paper

3:13 Jesus’s Special Genealogy

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Learn more

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• Learn more about the Italian renaissance

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