HRH The Prince of Wales
The Burlington House Cartoon (c 1499-1500)
by Leonardo da Vinci
I am delighted that the National Gallery has opened its doors again. How we all missed being able to visit the nation’s museums and galleries that hold so many of our cultural treasures. To choose a “favourite” picture from such an array is virtually impossible, but I must say that Leonardo da Vinci’s Burlington House Cartoon holds a particularly special place in my heart.
It may seem strange to choose what is essentially a drawing, from a collection of remarkable paintings, but I suspect it goes back to my childhood when I used to marvel at the Leonardo drawings in the Royal Library at Windsor. They have always been part of my life and I love his obvious fascination with nature, science and the human condition.