The Battle of Anghiari: Study of battles on horseback and on foot

The drawing illustrates soldiers in various states of exertion, with figures on foot swinging weapons and a dense, swirling cluster of cavalry at the top. Leonardo uses rapid, searching lines to capture the dynamic tension and violent energy of a battlefield melee. The composition focuses on the anatomical mechanics of the human and equine forms under extreme physical and emotional stress.

Leonardo viewed war as 'pazzia bestialissima' (most beastly madness), and this study reflects his natural-philosophical interest in how internal 'mental motions' (moti mentali) manifest as physical action. It serves as a bridge between his anatomical investigations and his theories on the representation of nature's more chaotic and destructive forces.