Drawing was Leonardo da Vinci's primary artistic activity. He used drawing to think, to explore the world around him and to develop his other artistic projects. His drawings are among the most diverse and technically accomplished in the entire history of art, and the Royal Collection holds by far the most important selection of these.

This book provides an authoritative account of Leonardo's work and represents the full breadth of his interests including maps and botanical sketches, anatomical illustrations and studies of the face, scientific drawings and engineering designs.