emoticons

The wonder that is social interaction, and in particular that of young children and their parents is not easily described.

Leonardo's wonderful cartoon currently in London and best seen in the flesh is also available here:

http://www.zing.com/picture/p853e40d63d86d6ad7e75181199bb895b/ffb727ae.jpg.orig.jpg 
linked from a not too informative alt tag here http://www.loadstar.prometeus.net/leonardo/anne.html 
It also has a fair page of fairly wooden description.

or slightly less well here: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/collection/sainsbury/L6337_400.html without an alt text at all, and only the briefest of descriptions.

I'd be interested if anyone thinks there is a suitable textual equivalent, that conveys the power & joy of the image, without defining it. For who  am I to conjecture on Leonardo's intention.

The artist concerned wrote plenty,and recognised that they were not intended to be accessible.

jonathan chetwynd

jc@signbrowser.org.uk
IT teacher (learning difficulty)
& accessibility consultant