Leonardo da Vinci, 'The Burlington House Cartoon', about 1506-8
About the work
Overview
The Virgin Mary sits on her mother’s lap, her attention focused on the wriggling Christ Child. Her mother, Saint Anne, looks intently at her through deep-set eyes and points upwards to the heavens, indicating the child’s divinity. Christ’s cousin, Saint John the Baptist, leans against Anne’s lap as the baby Christ tickles his chin.
This large drawing was made in preparation for a painting, probably as a presentation drawing: a full-sized study of what the planned picture might look like, which could be shown to a patron, or group of patrons. It was, in a sense, intended as a work of art in its own right, unlike other cartoons that were typically used to physically transfer a design of the drawing to the support for painting. Often known as ‘The Burlington House Cartoon’, it is the only surviving large-scale drawing by Leonardo.
Parts of the drawing are densely shaded and contrasted with lighter areas to give a three-dimensional effect, for example the figures’ faces and elements of the draperies such as sections of the Virgin’s sleeve and the folds of fabric which cover Saint Anne’s knees. Other areas, such as the women’s headdresses and feet, and Saint Anne’s pointing hand, are simply indicated with outlines.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist ('The Burlington House Cartoon')
- Artist
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Artist dates
- 1452 - 1519
- Date made
- about 1506-8
- Medium and support
- charcoal with white chalk on paper, mounted on canvas
- Dimensions
- 141.5 × 104.6 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Purchased with a special grant and contributions from the Art Fund, The Pilgrim Trust, and through a public appeal organised by the Art Fund, 1962
- Inventory number
- NG6337
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
- Frame
- 21st-century Replica Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986 and supplemented by Scott Nethersole and Per Rumberg, ‘Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504’, London 2024 ; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
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2011Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of MilanThe National Gallery (London)9 November 2011 - 5 February 2012
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2012La Sainte Anne de Léonard, NapoléonMusée du Louvre29 March 2012 - 25 June 2012
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2019Léonard de VinciMusée du Louvre24 October 2019 - 24 February 2020
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2024Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, circa 1504Royal Academy of Arts9 November 2024 - 16 February 2025
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2001
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About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.