Explore the History of this artwork, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne (Leonardo).
It is likely that the painting was commissioned by King Louis XII of France following the birth of his daughter in 1499, but it was never delivered to him. Leonardo probed into incorporating these figures together by drawing the Burlington House Cartoon (National Gallery). In 2008, a curator at the Louvre discovered several faint sketches believed to have been made by Leonardo on the back of the painting.  Infrared reflectography was used to reveal a "7-by-4 inch drawing of a horse's head", which had a resemblance to sketches of horses that Leonardo had made previously before drawing The Battle of Anghiari. Also revealed was a second sketch 61⁄2 inch-by-4  inch depiction of half a skull. A third sketch showed the infant Jesus playing with a lamb, which sketch was similar to that which is painted on the front side. The Louvre spokesperson said that the sketches were "very probably" made by Leonardo and that it was the first time that any drawing had been found on the "flip side of one of his works". The drawings will be further studied by a group of experts as the painting undergoes restoration.
Louis XII of France Burlington House Cartoon The Louvre Infrared reflectography lamb Infrared infant Jesus Louis XII Louvre National Gallery The Battle of Anghiari