The Head of Leda
Black chalk, pen and ink on paper, 17.7 x 14.7 cm, by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1505–08
Royal Collection Trust, London

This drawing is part of a group of studies for a lost painting, depicting a woman's head in profile, turned three-quarters to the left with her melancholic gaze lowered. Her hair is elaborately braided and coiled around her ears. It is believed to be a study for the head of Leda, intended for a painting, depicting her seduction by Zeus in the form of a swan. The original painting is thought to have been destroyed in the 18th century, leaving this drawing as a significant surviving trace of the composition.