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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1479-1480

Study of the Hanged Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli

Leonardo da Vinci · c. 1479-1480

A sketch by Leonardo da Vinci of the executed Pazzi conspirator Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli, with notes on his clothing.

Leonardo's firsthand record of a political execution in Florence shows his role as observer of real events.

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Pen and ink sketch on aged paper of a hanged man in a long robe and cap, body hanging from a rope with feet dangling, head tilted. Mirror-script handwritten notes appear at upper left.
Leonardo da Vinci, Study of the Hanged Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli, c. 1479-1480. Musée Bonnat-Helleu.

About this source

What it is

This pen-and-ink drawing by Leonardo da Vinci shows Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli hanging after his execution, made around 1479–1480. It is held at the Musée Bonnat-Helleu. Leonardo included handwritten notes describing details of the man's clothing.

Why it matters

Baroncelli was punished for his part in the Pazzi conspiracy, a famous plot against the Medici family in Florence. This sketch shows Leonardo as an eyewitness recorder of real political events of his time, using art almost like a reporter's notebook, noting exact details of dress and appearance rather than drawing from imagination.

Look closer

  • Why might Leonardo have focused on recording the clothing in such detail?
  • What does this drawing tell you about the public nature of executions in Renaissance Florence?
  • How is this sketch different from Leonardo's other, more imaginative drawings?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leonardo da Vinci on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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