Light from a window on an umbrous sphere

Leonardo came out of the design ambience represented by the metalpoint and biacca drawings. He had probably gone into Verrocchio’s workshop in 1469 at the age of seventeen, was admitted to the Florentine painters’ confraternity in 1472 and was still living in Verrocchio’s house in 1476. There are works by him attributed to the 1470s – in particular, a group of studies of drapery, monochrome brush drawings in black or dark grey on mid-grey-toned linen with white heightening …