Leonardo: the power of the grotesque

Five Character Studies is the most compelling and uneasy of the drawings that have come to be known as Leonardo's "caricatures". He regularly drew grotesque or unusual faces, and these studies were some of his most popular and influential works from the 16th century up to the time of Hogarth. But to modern eyes, they are not so much funny as strange, and connect with the hellish visions of Bosch and Bruegel.

From Wednesday 9 November, we will be launching a series of interactive Leonardo drawings, until 5 February 2012.