The Forster Notebook II

Page 24

I want to do what I want

In the upper left, Leonardo has written "I want to do what I want" in his characteristic red chalk mirror script. This personal note is a rare glimpse into the artist's internal state.

In the upper right, a faint red chalk sketch depicts a structural assembly. It may show the structural joinery of a building roof or a heavy machine frame. This sketch reflects Leonardo's process of architectural and mechanical conceptualization.

A dense, rhythmic cluster of swirling lines in red chalk appears on the middle left. These marks are typical of the artist's investigations into fluid dynamics, such as water turbulence, or the complex patterns found in braided hair.

In the center, a red chalk study shows a helical screw or snail like form. Leonardo frequently explored the geometry of spirals. He found parallels between organic growth in nature and mechanical efficiency in engineering.

A collection of arithmetic calculations and a circular diagram containing symbols and values appears at the bottom. These scribbles demonstrate the artist's constant habit of quantifying his observations. On the left, a column includes the numbers 2, 8, 4, and 1000. On the right, he lists 25 over 25 and 12 over 12, which likely indicate proportions or measurements for his sketches.

2 8
4
1 0 0 0
x x c original: "x x c", likely representing the Roman numeral for 200 or a shorthand for "etcetera".

25
25

12
12

I want (voglio), spiral (spirale), screw (vite), snail (chiocciola), calculations (calcoli), red chalk (sanguine)