LONDON—The largest-ever collection of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of the human body is going on display at Buckingham Palace.

The exhibition at the palace's Queen's Gallery includes 87 pages from the artist's notebooks and groundbreaking anatomical sketches.

Organizers say Leonardo intended to publish the detailed studies of bones, muscles and internal organs in a treatise on anatomy, but the drawings were never used when he died in 1519.

Exhibition curator Martin Clayton said Monday that had Leonardo published his work, "he would now be known as one of the greatest scientists in history."

The display will run from Friday to October 7.

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The Royal Collection: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/leonardo-da-vinci-anatomist