# Poll: Do you see Leonardo's hidden self-portrait in his drawing of bones? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148 "2009-03-12T00:25:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Brandus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brandus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/21 "2009-03-12T15:23:56Z")
Normally I would dismiss this, but after reading how was an absolute master on controlling what the viewer sees using shadows, especially when seen through peripheral vision, I have to agree it’s probably true. I can imagine him smirking with glee as he drew his hidden image onto the bones. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/22 "2009-03-12T15:45:13Z")
I didn’t see it at first but using tips from this thread I see it now. You kinda hafta squint just right. But yeah, it’s hard to miss now and I could see it being done on purpose. I didn’t read the article very carefully, which drawing was done first? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/23 "2009-03-12T16:14:41Z")
**Eastern Oregon professor, wife enjoy ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms** ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/24 "2009-03-12T16:15:47Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I think it’s just the good old propensity of the mind to perceive faces in arbitrary patterns. Same as seeing faces in clouds. Except that it lines up perfectly with the self portrait. If that’s a coincidence, it’s one hell of a coincidence. Actually, no way it’s a coincidence. I’m not ruling out a hoax of some sort, but this was deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/25 "2009-03-12T16:17:53Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s…it’s… some bones. Some people have way too much time on their hands. And not much flesh on their feet, apparently. I don’t see a portrait, but I do see “Nina” hidden in the bottom right-hand foot. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/26 "2009-03-12T16:54:41Z")
I saw it when you did the little 1-2-3 game, otherwise…not so much. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/27 "2009-03-12T16:56:19Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Except that it lines up perfectly with the self portrait. Now this I don’t see. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/28 "2009-03-12T17:20:42Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I didn’t read the article very carefully, which drawing was done first? The referenced article doesn’t say. Googling aound, it would appear the self portrait was done around [1515 to 1516](http://www.bigano.com/index.php/en/leonardo-da-vinci/44-leonardo-da-vinci-in-altissima-risoluzione-autoritratto.html). I couldn’t find a date for the other, the foot bone work. Best I could see was reference to an “anatomical series” and they think those were done around 1510. Maybe someone else will have better luck dating it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/29 "2009-03-12T17:42:25Z")
(gasp!) It’s the Virgin Mary! ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/30 "2009-03-12T19:11:49Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Except that it lines up perfectly with the self portrait. If that’s a coincidence, it’s one hell of a coincidence. > > Actually, no way it’s a coincidence. I’m not ruling out a hoax of some sort, but this was deliberate. I don’t see how it lines up perfectly. What I see in the bones picture is the vague suggestion of a face. But it is not well-defined, and doesn’t match the Leonardo portait in several places. The right “eye” (on the left, as we look) is too far to the left; the “nose” is rather vague – I’m not sure if the bones are supposed to match the bridge or the shadow to the side of Leo’s nose; the “mouth” is a different shape to Leo’s; and the “face” is aligned slightly differently, like whoever it is is leaning forward compared to Leo. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/31 "2009-03-12T19:51:46Z")
No, although I do see Sarah Jessica Parker. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/32 "2009-03-12T20:34:12Z")
For those that do see it, were you also able to see the hidden image in those “magic eye” drawings? Because I could never see those damn things either. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/33 "2009-03-12T21:28:05Z")
I saw it, and Magic Eye is a conspiracy if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/34 "2009-03-13T00:57:20Z")
Ha ha… I could see the magic eye pictures and only see a vague resemblance to a face. Keep in mind, you had/have to turn the bones drawing sideways to even get that much. Seems a bit too much wishful thinking, in my humble opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148/35 "2009-03-13T10:51:56Z")
You’re all wrong and _missing the point_. If you look at the so-called ‘bones’ in the correct way, you see a detailed portrait of _Cecil himself_. Of course, I am not at liberty to disclose exactly what I mean by ‘the correct way’. This will be explained to all when He decides the time is right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-see-leonardos-hidden-self-portrait-in-his-drawing-of-bones/489148.md?page=1)