Studies of crabs 

Leonardo da Vinci captured these crab studies in ink, a testament to his keen observation, now residing in Cologne. The crab, a creature sidling through history, appears in ancient lore as a symbol of tenacity and transformation. Think of Cancer, the zodiac sign, a constellation mapped by Babylonian astronomers, its celestial crab scuttling across the night sky. In mythology, we find the crab Karkinos, dispatched by Hera to hinder Heracles, a creature of instinct disrupting the hero’s path. Notice how Leonardo meticulously renders the crab’s segmented body and powerful claws. These claws, tools of survival, also speak to a deeper primal fear: the threat of being pinched, restrained, or devoured. Consider how these motifs recur: the protective shell, the lurking menace, the sideways glance. These images evolve, yet their primal impact remains, engaging our subconscious with each iteration.