Study for the Madonna of the Cat

Study for the Madonna of the Cat is a set of two drawings by Leonardo da Vinci on both sides (front and back) of a sheet of paper 13 centimeters high and 9.4 centimeters wide. The two drawings were made in pen and brown ink, on a preparatory drawing in stylus, with a brown wash on the back. This is one of the six works of Leonardo da Vinci showing the Virgin and Child playing with a cat or carrying it. A mirror symmetry between the drawings of the two faces is visible by transparency. The Study for the Madonna of the Cat is currently held at the British Museum in London under inventory number 1856,0621.1.[1][2]

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  Study for the Madonna of the Cat, recto (British Museum).

• Five other works of Leonardo da Vinci showing the Virgin and Child playing with a cat or carrying it
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  Madonna col Bambino che carezza un gattino, front (Uffizi Gallery).
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  Madonna col Bambino che carezza un gattino, back (Uffizi Gallery)
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  Virgin and Child playing with a cat (musée Bonnat-Helleu).
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  Item number 1860,0616.98, front (British Museum).
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  Item number 1860,0616.98, back (British Museum).
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  Item number 1857,0110.1, front (British Museum).
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  Item number 1857,0110.1, back (British Museum).
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  Virgin and Child Holding a Cat (private collection, London).

Study for the Madonna of the Cat
it: Studio per la madonna del gatto
Verso.
Artist	Leonardo da Vinci
Year	c. 1478–1481
Medium	pen and brown ink, on a preparatory drawing in stylus, with a brown wash on the back
Dimensions	13 cm × 9.4 cm (5.1 in × 3.7 in)
Location	British Museum, London
Accession	1856,0621.1
Website	https://www.britishmuseum.org/

See also

• Madonna of the Cat (Federico Barocci)

References

1. "Leonardo da Vinci e la "Madonna del gatto": quando il fine giustifica i mezzi". foglidarte.it (in Italian). 2014-10-26. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
2. The British Museum Database