Leonardo da Vinci’s Papers: Invention and Reconstruction

Showcasing the latest research on Leonardo’s notebooks and drawings.

Thursday 18 May: British Library Knowledge Centre, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB.
Friday 19 May: University of London Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.

This two-day international academic conference aims to shed light on crucial aspects of Leonardo’s paper legacy in the wider context of both his notebooks and drawings. 

His written and artistic works have been traditionally assessed separately but are intrinsically related and form the pillars of both his intellectual investigations and inventive processes.

'Leonardo da Vinci’s Papers: Invention and Reconstruction’ newly explores interdisciplinary aspects concerning the various types and innovative uses of paper by one of the most complex and prolific polymaths of our times.

Questions related to the physical characteristics of Leonardo’s papers and ways to examine them will form a springboard for re-evaluations by leading scholars about dating, attribution, collections, reconstructions, reception and imaging, and also offer a unique opportunity to discuss how we might view his legacy today.

The conference follows the British Library’s landmark 2019 exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: A Mind in Motion and is organised by Juliana Barone of Birkbeck College and the Warburg Institute. It is a collaborative project between the British Library and the Warburg Institute, with support from Birkbeck College.

Tickets £7 – £15. Tickets may be booked either to attend in person (physical), or to watch online. Viewing links will be sent out shortly before the event.

Image: Detail from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook, Arundel MS 263, ff. 182v-183.