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Codices - Overview

Leonardo’s scientific and technical observations are found in his handwritten notes and drawings, of which about 7,200 pages survive of approximately 25,000. Most of these are bound into ‘codices’ (ancient manuscripts in book form). These notebooks have been rightly referred to as ‘the most astonishing testament to the powers of human observation and imagination ever set down on paper.’

Leonardo rarely put dates on his pages and much of the order has been lost. After his death, many of the volumes were disassembled and the more interesting pages sold or reorganised in the late 16th century by Pompeo Leoni, a sculptor in the court of the King of Spain, who came into possession of many of the remaining pages. He tried to organise them by subject – an admirable endeavour, but one that ultimately only resulted in disturbing the original order of the pages, which may have been key to our understanding of Leonardo’s thought processes. Each of the new books created by this process is now known as a codex.

Codex Arundel:

This collection, comprising a paper manuscript bound in Morocco leather, is housed in the British Library in London. It contains 238 pages of varying sizes that have been cut and removed from other manuscripts. The notes deal with a variety of subjects, including geometry, weights and architecture. 

Codex Forster (1–3):

These three parchment-bound paper manuscripts are housed in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The manuscripts are known as Forster 1 (two parts, one completed from 1487–1490 and one in 1505), Forster 2 (1495–1497) and Forster 3 (1490–1496). They include studies on geometry, weights and hydraulic machines.

Codex Atlanticus:

This Codex, kept in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, encompasses Leonardo’s entire career, from 1478 to 1519. Today it consists of twelve leather-bound volumes, comprising 1,119 pages of different sizes. Various themes are touched on, including mathematics, geometry, astronomy, botany, zoology and the military arts. The name ‘Codex Atlanticus’ derives from the original arrangement of all the sheets in a single large-sized volume, akin to an atlas. Codex Atlanticus was created around the end of the sixteenth century when sculptor Pompeo Leoni dismembered the original Leonardo manuscripts, separating the scientific and technical drawings of Codex Atlanticus from the naturalistic and anatomical ones that are today scattered among the other codices, most notably the Royal Windsor collection.

Codex Leicester:

This leather-bound paper manuscript was purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for U.S. $30.8 Million (A.U.D. $46.7 million). It comprises 64 sheets, dedicated primarily to studies in hydraulics and the movement of water but also including studies in geology and astronomy. The manuscripts can be dated from 1504 to 1506.

Codex Trivulzianus:

This codex, held in the Biblioteca Trivulziana at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, contains studies in architecture and religious themes, as well as numerous pages testifying to Leonardo’s efforts to improve his literary education. Unfortunately only 55 of the original 62 pages remain, mostly dating from 1487 to 1490.

Windsor Folios:

Held in Windsor Castle’s Royal Collection, these folios comprise approximately 234 unbound sheets containing nearly 600 drawings of various sizes, composed between 1478 and 1518. The subjects of the drawings include anatomy, geography, cartography, horse studies and even caricatures.

Codex ‘On the Flight of Birds:'

Held in the Biblioteca Reale of Turin, this collection includes 17 of the 18 original pages in which Leonardo methodically analyses the flight of birds, paying close attention to the mechanics of flight as well as air resistance, winds and currents. The pages can be dated from approximately 1505.

Codex Ashburnham:

These two cardboard-bound manuscripts, held in the Institut de France, Paris, consist of pages stolen from codices A and B in the 19th century and eventually sold to Lord Ashburnham. The collections mainly contain pictorial studies and assorted drawings which Leonardo is believed to have drawn between 1489 and 1492.

Codices of the Institut de France:

The codices held at the Institut de France, Paris, comprise 12 paper manu-scripts labelled A to M, variably bound in parchment, leather and cardboard. They vary widely in size, from approximately A7 (Codex M, 10 x 7 cm) to A4 (Codex C, 31 x 22 cm). A range of subjects are covered, including military art, optics, geometry, the flight of birds and hydraulics. The majority of the pages are thought to date from 1492 to 1516.

The Madrid Codices:

These two manuscripts were discovered in the National Library of Madrid in 1966, bound in red Morocco leather, after having lain hidden for years. To facilitate easy identification, they were named Madrid I and Madrid II. Madrid I consists of 192 sheets penned between 1490 and 1496, most of which focus on mechanics. Madrid II is primarily dedicated to studies in geometry and dates from 1503 to 1505.

THE LUME Melbourne
  1. A message from the founder
  2. Leonardo da Vinci - 500 Years of Genius: The Experience
  3. Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519
  4. Father of Flight - Overview
  5. Father of Flight - Flapping Wing
  6. Father of Flight - Vertical Flying Machine
  7. Father of Flight - Study of a Jointed Wing
  8. Father of Flight - Aerial Screw
  9. Father of Flight - Flying Machine
  10. Father of Flight - Open Glider
  11. Father of Flight - Parachute
  12. Codices - Overview
  13. Codices - Resumé of a Genius
  14. Replica Codices
  15. The Artistry of Leonardo - Overview
  16. The Artistry of Leonardo - Annunciation
  17. The Artistry of Leonardo - Madonna of the Carnation
  18. The Artistry of Leonardo - Ginevra de Benci
  19. The Artistry of Leonardo - The Benois Madonna
  20. The Artistry of Leonardo - St. Jerome
  21. The Artistry of Leonardo - Madonna Litta
  22. The Artistry of Leonardo - The Virgin of the Rocks (Louvre Version)
  23. The Artistry of Leonardo - Portrait of a Musician
  24. The Artistry of Leonardo - Lady with an Ermine
  25. The Artistry of Leonardo - La Belle Ferroniere
  26. The Artistry of Leonardo - Virgin of the Rocks (London Version)
  27. The Artistry of Leonardo - The Virgin and Child with St. Anne
  28. The Artistry of Leonardo - Salvator Mundi
  29. The Artistry of Leonardo - St. John the Baptist
  30. The Artistry of Leonardo - Self-Portrait in Red Chalk
  31. Exploring the Human Anatomy
  32. Mona Lisa Revealed
  33. Mona Lisa Revealed - Artistic Rejuvenation
  34. Mona Lisa Revealed - Did You Know?
  35. Mona Lisa - 25 Secrets Revealed
  36. Mona Lisa Revealed - The Mystery of the Eyelashes and Eyebrows
  37. Mona Lisa - Colours Revealed
  38. Mona Lisa Replica
  39. Vitruvian Man - Ratios
  40. Vitruvian Man - Harmony of Proportions
  41. Vitruvian Man
  42. Artist's Studio
  43. The Last Supper
  44. Codex Atlanticus
  45. Original Codices
  46. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity
  47. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Archimedes' Screw
  48. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Paddle Boat
  49. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Emergency Bridge
  50. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Hand-flipper
  51. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Lifebuoy
  52. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Diving Equipment
  53. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Breathing Equipment
  54. Aquatic & Hydraulic Ingenuity - Floats for Walking on Water
  55. Dynamics of Nature
  56. Dynamics of Nature - Flywheels
  57. Dynamics of Nature - Jack
  58. Dynamics of Nature - Rolling Ball Bearings
  59. Dynamics of Nature - Ball Bearings
  60. Dynamics of Nature - Chain Crankcase
  61. Dynamics of Nature - Cog-Wheels Lantern Mechanism
  62. Dynamics of Nature - Hammer Driven by an Eccentric Cam
  63. Dynamics of Nature - Automatic Blocking Mechanism
  64. Engineering Excellence
  65. Engineering Excellence - Self-Propelled Car
  66. Engineering Excellence - Bicycle
  67. Engineering Excellence - Pole-Erecting Machine
  68. Engineering Excellence - Crank-Operated Cart
  69. Engineering Excellence - Odometer
  70. Engineering Excellence - The Ideal City
  71. Instruments of Music & Optics
  72. Instruments of Music & Optics - Mechanical Drum
  73. Instruments of Music & Optics - Mirrors Room
  74. Instruments of Music & Optics - Costume Designer
  75. Instruments of Music & Optics - Double Flute
  76. Military Engineering Exploits
  77. Military Engineering Exploits - Covered Cart for Attacking Fortifications
  78. Military Engineering Exploits - Multi-Directional Gun-Machine
  79. Military Engineering Exploits - Giant Crossbow
  80. Military Engineering Exploits - Cannon
  81. Military Engineering Exploits - Tank
  82. Military Engineering Exploits - Catapult
  83. Military Engineering Exploits - Steam Cannon
  84. Military Engineering Exploits - Mowing Wagon