Study of Horses - by Leonardo da Vinci

The accuracy with which Leonardo rendered horses and the play of their muscles indicates he probably dissected them. Contemporaries referred to his book on the anatomy of horses, which apparently was lost. The drawings shown here date from the time of work on the equestrian monument commissioned by Marshal Gian Giacomo Trivulzio about 1508 in Milan. Trivulziu, who led the French invasion of Milan in 1499, had hoped to become governor of the city, but his chances were wrecked by intrigue.