Artibus et Historiae no. 27 (XIV)

1993, ISSN 0391-9064

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JAMES BECK - The Dream of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci's dream of a nibbio, or kite, a rapacious carrion bird, opening his mouth with its tail while he lay in the cradle, has been the subject of several psychoanalytical studies. The article is the first atempt to evaluate the dream within the larger context of the artist's interest in dreams and fantasies, as well as in bestiaries and fables. Many emblematic descriptions of kites wewre in Leonardo's possession, suggesting that the bird held personal significance for him. Some of the virtues symbolized by the kite, such as self-restraint and moderation, crop up in other contents, for example in the Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine (Czartoryski Collection, Kraków), and in his fables involving monkeys. Like the nibbio dream, these instances can be understood as Leonardo's reminders to himself of the need to exercise restraint in order to continue undistracted in his mission as a guide of art