A Group of Men Spinning a Winch

Author: Michael Kwakkelstein

The recto of this double-sided sheet depicts a construction site where four nude men each push a large handle of a traditional winch to lift a rectangular block of stone sitting at the base of the mast of a crane.^[1] The path of the rope from the central shaft of the winch to the pulley on top of the block of stone is difficult to understand unless one assumes the presence of a pulley at the base of the mast. The mast is secured at the top by six ropes, one of which leads to the broken column on the left, while a large block of stone serves as counterweight for the winch.^[2] A seated nude man appears to be unwinding or guiding the rope with both hands.

The winch and crane illustrated in this drawing are not related to any of Leonardo da Vinci’s highly accomplished and detailed drawings of machines for lifting weights.^[3] The many uncertainties moreover suggest that the draughtsman had no technical experience. This is also confirmed by the drawing of a wagon on the verso in which the mechanics of the external cranks for manoeuvring the vehicle when stationary is poorly understood. The pointed gear teeth and cart undercarriage are unrelated to anything in Leonardo’s work and were not drawn by someone familiar with engineering. The feeble and sketchy drawing style suggests that these drawings are copies of other engineering drawings made by a beginner and probably date from the late sixteenth century.