Leonardo da Vinci is known for masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, as well as his Vitruvian Man drawing. But he is perhaps even more fascinating when you explore his lesser-known works, such as his automaton robot. However, many don't realize that this was not his only foray into automatism. In 1515, he created a mechanical lion for the King of France, a device that would be reconstructed in 2009.
Leonardo da Vinci's Mechanical Lion
The mechanical lion had a friendly appearance with a curly mane and was almost life-sized. It could walk, move its head, shake its tail, and open its jaws. It was presented to King Francis I by the community of Florence when he visited Lyon in 1515, to celebrate a new alliance between the Italian city and France. The lion was the symbol of Florence, and when the king struck the mechanical animal with his whip, the lion's chest opened to reveal a fleur-de-lis, the emblem of the French monarchy. The king was so impressed that he invited Leonardo to come to his country the following year, bringing with him several paintings, including the Mona Lisa, which remain in France to this day.
The mechanical lion of Leonardo da Vinci was lost long ago, but detailed drawings of the mechanisms survived, showing how the inventor made the animal work. Using these drawings and written descriptions, automaton maker Renato Boaretto recreated the lion for the Château du Clos-Lucé in 2009 as part of a da Vinci exhibition. Boaretto's lion is life-sized and is activated manually like an old clock. It then walks at least ten steps forward, moves its head from side to side, opens and closes its jaw, and moves its tail up and down. Like da Vinci's original, a secret mechanism is built into the mane so that when a particular spot is touched, a trapdoor opens in the animal's jaw and drops numerous fleurs-de-lis.
