On this day in 2003 the exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman” opened at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was the draftsman of draftsmen.

No disrespect to the dozen or so of his paintings that survive, but the Renaissance had a fair number of great painters.

But “draftsmen”?

While those two might technically be on par, Leonardo holds a unique place for his output and its diverse subject matter–portraits, anatomy, machines, building plans, and water.

Leonardo is well known as the archetypal Renaissance man, with broad interests and great talent. Vasari's description of him is beautiful and spot-on: “Truly marvelous and celestial was Leonardo.”

Leonardo knew how to think and to draw, and he knew those two things fit together.

He kept numerous notebooks filled with drawings and observations on diverse subjects.

He advised his students always to carry a small sketchbook to note "the infinite forms and positions of things."

More than just the technical brilliance, sweeping subject matter, and emotional verve, Leonardo’s drawings are significant as a means not just to record but to discover.

In the sheet shown above, his backward handwriting records information taken from De Architectura by Vitruvius.

Leonardo’s left-handedness might have contributed to his creativity.

He often redrew features multiple times, leaving behind "pentimenti" or traces of earlier work. This gave his sketches a unique freedom and expressive style.

Being a left-handed artist in a right-handed world probably pushed him to think differently and approach things in a whole new way.

For example, Leonardo developed clever strategies to avoid smudging his work.

One of his most famous techniques was "mirror writing," in which he wrote from right to left. This method prevented his hand from dragging through wet ink as he worked, whether writing or drawing.

Although it became one of his signature practices, he still wrote conventionally when creating work for others.

A study in Florence, Italy, suggests he was ambidextrous (YouTube - 00:00:58).

Da Vinci's left-handedness also significantly influenced his drawing technique and style, leaving a distinctive mark on his artwork.

Leonardo's left-handedness is particularly noticeable in his hatching technique.

Unlike right-handed artists, who typically draw parallel lines slanting from the upper right to the lower left, Leonardo's lines slant in the opposite direction—from the upper left to the lower right.

This unique slant became a key feature in identifying his authentic drawings.

What is distinctive about your drawing style that might be used as evidence in a copyright infringement trial?

Okay, back to this week's vibe.

“Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman” was the first comprehensive exhibition of Da Vinci's drawings in America.

It brought together nearly 120 works by one of the most renowned masters of all time—the very embodiment of the Renaissance ideal of the universal genius.

That was 22 years ago, and the drawings are still being toured from time to time worldwide.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait for them to visit a nearby town.

You can get your hands on a handsome book that offers a unified and fascinating portrait of Leonardo as a draftsman, integrating his diverse roles as an artist, scientist, inventor, theorist, and teacher.

Named after the exhibit and published at about the same time, Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman (New York Metropolitan Museum of Art Series) ($45.00 +/-) is a chronological framework that sheds light on his extraordinary life and career.

The essays and entries―written by the world’s leading Leonardo scholars―survey the wide variety of drawing types that Leonardo used and also examine a small group of works by artists critical to his artistic development in Florence and to his multifaceted activity in Milan.

Have a great rest of your week,
The A-Team