Abandoned sketch found under landmark Leonardo da Vinci work

Much-discussed Virgin of the Rocks to be centrepiece of National Gallery exhibition

An "abandoned composition" by Leonardo da Vinci has been discovered underneath one of his most discussed paintings, which will take centre stage at a ground-breaking exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance master.

The National Gallery, which is hosting an "immersive exploration" of the artist's work, found the unfinished earlier version after conducting scientific research into the Virgin of the Rocks. The London gallery's researchers found the Leonardo's initial designs for the angel and the infant Christ, with "significant differences to how they look in the finished painting".