Forster Codices (I–III)

Leonardo's Pocket Notebooks

Period: c. 1487–1505 Volumes: 3 notebooks Location: Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Overview

The Forster Codices are three small pocket-sized notebooks by Leonardo, named after John Forster who bequeathed them to the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1876. Their small size suggests Leonardo carried them with him for on-the-spot observations and notes.

Forster Codex I

Contains two parts: the first (c. 1487–90) deals with hydraulics — the properties and movement of water; the second (c. 1505) covers the transformation of one geometric body into another of equal volume (a problem known as "stereometry").

Forster Codex II

Dated c. 1495–97, this notebook covers physics and the theory of weights. It includes studies on the movement of water, the behavior of forces, and notes on theories of balance and proportion.

Forster Codex III

Dated c. 1490–93, this is the most miscellaneous of the three. It contains notes on geometry, weights and hydraulics, mixed with observations on daily life, sketches, and various studies.

Date Range
c. 1487–1505
Volumes
3 pocket notebooks
Primary Subjects
Hydraulics, Physics, Weights, Geometry, Stereometry
Current Location
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Size
Small pocket format
Provenance
Bequeathed by John Forster (1876)
Digitized
Yes — V&A Museum
🔗 View at V&A Museum

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