The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist (The Burlington House Cartoon)

Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, also known as The Burlington House Cartoon, is a large, detailed sketch which dates to around 1499.

Introduction

This detailed drawing is likely to have been a study for the later The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne painting, though art historians have regularly argued over the order of these two items, as well as some other drawings related to the same subject. Da Vinci liked to flesh out ideas on paper, sometimes even doing so whilst the main painting had already been started.

Ultimately, the drawing and painting would have different compositions, but also have much in common. Debates continue over the timing of each piece, but the most likely scenario is that the The Burlington House Cartoon came about in around 1499, with the painting then arriving just a few years afterwards. Da Vinci may even have been searching for a donor whilst already working on both projects.

The artist would still be considering the right postures and detail within the painting, and so would use his drawings as a means to see his ideas visually, before deciding whether to use them in the final painted piece. Prior to this detailed drawing in charcoal and chalk, he would surely have worked on similar sketches first, and then translated those ideas into this piece.

The size and precision of this piece makes it amongst the most valuable Da Vinci drawing, placing it alongside the likes of Vitruvian Man, Study of Hands and Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk (Self Portrait). It is also one of the few items from his career to reside within the UK, and remains a significant highlight in the permanent collection of the National Gallery in London.

Da Vinci specialised in religious themes early on in his career, and was somewhat limited by the requests of his donors until his reputation brought in a wider breadth of opportunities. His technical skills as a draughtsman, as demonstrated by The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, would lay the foundations for all of his success in other disciplines.

Leonardo was only known as a painter by most for a number of years, with his achievements in other disciplines mainly ignored. In more recent time, however, his drawings, inventions and contributions to science have received much more exposure and a more rounded view of his career is now taught within mainstream art circles.

This article examines the drawing in detail, explaining its composition and the meaning behind its content. We track its progress from Leonardo's studio to its present location in London, UK and also offer some high resolution images of the original piece for your interest. Finally, there is also some technical information about the artwork, including the mediums used, and the size of the overall piece.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Description
4. Provenance
5. Location
6. Why is it called The Burlington House Cartoon?
7. Size and Medium
8. Large Images
9. References

Preparation

Fierce debates have raged over the precise order of Da Vinci's work on this topic, but most art historians believe that this drawing of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist came prior to the painting listed below, and was likely an advanced study for that piece. All manner of different theories have been put forward, with dates ranging for the drawings from around 1499 to around 1508.

The most believable account places Leonardo in Milan whilst working on the drawing, and was completing it as a commissioned piece for Louis XII of France. He would also have had in his mind the later painting at this point, and so the project served two purposes. Without the commission, he would probably not have completed such a detailed study, and might even have covered the topic as individual elements on separate pages.

Description

This multi-figure portrait features the Virgin Mary sat in her mother's lap, whilst the Christ child attempts to wriggle out of her grasp. To the right hand side, John the Baptist looks on. These four figures are carefully planned and well formed, but the rest of the composition is left as a series of outlines.

Unlike Leonardo's paintings, where individual brushstrokes would be impossible to distinguish because of his subtle use of tone and transparent glazes, in this piece we can see precisely how the piece was constructed. Indeed, for the Virgin Mary and St Anne, outlines still persist around their hairlines, and we see similar in the landscape behind.

The variations between black and white chalk leave a impactful contrast, and gives us the impression of light falling across the faces and upper torsos of each figure. The lower sections feature some elaborate drapery, as well as a greater use of shadowing, though some of the feet are left unfinished.

Provenance

According to some historians, the drawing went on display as soon at is was completed, and local people flocked with excitement to see the latest piece from their respected master. Whilst that would place in piece in Florence at around 1500, others have suggested the drawing was actually completed a little earlier, whilst the artist was in Milan.

There have also been a number of historians who have placed the piece later in his career, to around 1507-1508, based on some of the elements of the scene which marry with other artworks from that period. Our knowledge of the piece is then a little limited up until around the 17th century, at which point it was owned by Counts Arconati of Milan, before passing on to the Casnedis, the Sagredo and then to Robert Udny, a Scottish merchant and art collector.

At the end of the 18th century it was recorded in the inventory of the Royal Academy in London, UK, and most likely was sold or gifted to the institution by the previous owner, Udny. His own collection was broken up in the early 19th century, but the The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist drawing had already been sold by that point.

Location

Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist can be found in the permanent collection of The National Gallery, London. The item was acquired through public donations, in order to avoid the drawing being sold abroad.

The item was valued at £800,000, a price raised over a period of several months whilst the artwork was displayed at the National Gallery in 1962. This process of protecting British-owned artworks from sale abroad continues today, and regularly suceeds in keeping important cultural items within the nation.

Why is it called The Burlington House Cartoon?

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist was, for many years, held in the Burlington House building in the Royal Academy in London. That is why many referred to it as the Burlington House Cartoon, even though it was later moved to the National Gallery, elsewhere in the city.

Size and Medium

The Burlington House Cartoon by Leonardo da Vinci is sized at 141.5 cm in height, by 104.6 cm in width (55.7 in × 41.2 in). The artist combined charcoal with touches of black and white chalk on tinted paper, mounted on canvas, for this drawing.

The piece is far larger than most of his drawings, and clearly this piece was intended to be more than just a quick, experimental sketch or study. Indeed, the level of precision and detail is particularly impressive in this piece, with each and every figure completed to a high level.

According to Bambach, 1999, via Frank Zöllner, the large piece was made from eight individual sheets of paper, and that the piece was likely glued to a canvas in the late 18th century, presumably in an attempt to preserve it for future generations. Major restoration work was completed after a gun was fired at the drawing, and other necessary work was completed at the same time.

Large Images of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist (The Burlington House Cartoon)

This unusually large drawing is featured below, first with a close-up of the main part of the portrait, followed by a high resolution image of the overall composition in full. This should help you to appreciate the stunning detail added by the artist all those years ago, as many will be unable to view this piece in person.

The artist used multiple mediums for this piece, and the larger images may reveal some of the individual touches of charcoal and chalk. Typically with his paintings, individual brushstrokes would be hidden through the merging of tones, and so it is unusual to be able to see the artist's work in this manner.

References

• Leonardo. The Complete Paintings and Drawings, Frank Zöllner & Johannes Nathan, Taschen
• Leonardo da Vinci, Walter Isaacson