Tracing Leonardo in Vinci. A Drawing of a Metamorphic Monster on a Fireplace Hood

Abstract

This contribution presents the first results of a research project on the “Dragon of Vinci,” a charcoal wall drawing decorating a late medieval fireplace in a municipal building near the Castle of the Counts Guidi. In a fragile state of preservation due to water infiltration and overlapping lime washes, the work has been documented using non-invasive techniques, including laser scanning, photogrammetry, and thermography, which revealed otherwise illegible details. The metamorphic and complex creature recalls figurative models of Florentine art in the late fifteenth century and shows affinities with Leonardo da Vinci’s youthful drawings of dragons and fantastic animals. The link with the artist’s birthplace and the outcomes of diagnostic investigations raises the possibility of attributing the work to Leonardo - an attribution that, if confirmed, would add a rare mural drawing to his corpus. The study aims to initiate a systematic process of research and enhancement of this fragile yet extraordinary work.