fables. Fascinated by word play, Leonardo created a series of riddles, cleverly disguised as apocalyptic prophecies and fantasies. The “solution” to each of these inspired sayings—often simply the image of an animal or beast—reveals much about both Leonardo and his art. Ingenious, witty, and, at times, scurrilous, these fragments are the work of a brilliant mind, as fascinating today as they were in his own time.

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