A study of the near hind-leg of a horse, in profile to the left; a horse, standing, full length, in profile to the right; the hind-quarters of a horse, and a very faint sketch of the hock of a horse. Melzi's number 35.

This is one of several studies that Leonardo made towards a composition of the Adoration of the Shepherds, possibly for an unfulfilled commission he received in January 1478 for an altarpiece (of unspecified subject) for the chapel of San Bernardo in the Palazzo della Signoria, Florence.

Even at this early stage of his career, his approach was to make a range of studies of relevant subject matter in addition to compositional sketches (RCIN 912324, 912325, 912308, 912362). The studies in this drawing show a horse from three directions – the hind leg from the left, the whole horse from the right, and the bony rear of the animal from behind. Both the horse and the draughtsmanship are delicate and slightly nervous, a common trait of Leonardo’s earliest studies.

Text adapted from Leonardo da Vinci: A life in drawing, London, 2018