Fig. 9: Leonardo Da Vinci, detail of Compositional Sketches for the Virgin Adoring the Christ Child (recto), 1480–85.
From: Materiality and techniques revealed in drawings by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Perugino
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.142.1). a Visible light image. b–f Elemental distribution maps acquired in the detail area shown in (a): b Pb (white) distribution due to the presence of red lead coloring the bone ash preparation; c Ag (purple); d Hg (red); e combined Fe and Cu (orange and blue, respectively); f Fe (orange). Ag, Hg, and some Cu are present in the metalpoint; Fe together with some Cu reflect the use of iron gall ink. The white arrows in Figs. (a) and (e) indicate the sketch of two babies in the middle bottom that were executed in metalpoint only, as the medium there contains no Fe.
