Today the science group of the Oxford Teacher Seminar went by appointment into the print room of the Ashmolean Museum. 

The curator of the print room brought out 5 drawings each by first Michelangelo, then Raphael, and finally Leonardo!

This first by Michelangelo is of three men debating. The facial expressions and hand gestures of the two men are so dramatic. Also note that their clothing is quite layered and detailed and drapey until you get to the feet which are bare.

This second by Raphael is a study for his Madonna im Gruenen. The roundness of Mary’s cheeks, face, hands, body convey protective maternity of the infant Jesus.

This third by Leonardo is actually two little drawings. When the curator switched from the five Raphael drawings, she told us to sit still so she could bring out the Leonardo drawings which are unframed and not protected by glass. She gave us a catalogue of the drawings and mentioned she was bringing out the unicorn one. I hoped silently that she would put the unicorn drawing in front of me.

And she did!

The bottom drawing of the curled up unicorn looks like it is sleeping (or worse).

The top drawing of the unicorn captured by the maiden has a poignancy and sweetness. The unicorn’s face seems melancholy and the maiden seems to point to the rope looped and tied around the unicorn’s neck. The pen lines are clear and swift — almost like Leonardo was drawing for the entertainment of someone. He makes little flourishes for grass and plants at the bottom. He makes diagonal slashes across the unicorn’s body for shadow. The diagonal lines framing the woman’s face might be a veil which is fluttering in the wind, since it does seem her hair is pinned back into a bun with some strands curling around her face.

But what a gift to spend time seeing these drawings with just a few other people in the silent room of the Ashmolean Museum.

I found myself summoning up old knowledge about watermarks, making paper, collector’s stamps. And remembering how I had been taught at Harvard how to study rare books and manuscripts. When we came into the Ashmolean, I saw a bin of pencils on their information desk and took one. Lucky thing, because no pens were allowed! We were allowed to take pictures but only if we signed a form attesting that all the images would be only be used for personal or pedagogic purposes. On the form we had to list each image of which we took a picture. Now that surprised me because generally rare book museums do not allow this.

After we left and we were walking down the street toward the open market to find lunch, one of the other teachers said, “Now, my atoms are part of a Leonardo drawing.” I asked her what she meant. “Every time you breath out, you breath out your own atoms.”

So I guess that means I too am part of that captured little unicorn.