Leonardo the anatomist.
Is there an end to Leonardo’s genius? The latest proof of his never-ending capabilities is on show at the Queen’s Gallery in London UK.
Leonardo da Vinci’s groundbreaking studies of the human body are on display in the largest ever exhibition of his anatomical work. The exhibition, which takes place almost 500 years after his death, features 87 pages from his notebook, including 27 sides of previously unexhibited material.
Even though Leonardo is recognised as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, he was one of the most original and perceptive anatomists of all time. The exhibition tells the story of his greatest challenge as he embarked upon a bloody campaign of dissection in hospitals and mortuaries to investigate the fabric of the human body. Had Leonardo’s studies been published, they would have formed the most influential work on the human body ever produced.
To coincide with the exhibition, a special iPad app, which reverses and translates the thousands of notes made by the artist in his distinctive mirror writing, reveal his words to a mass audience for the first time, bringing to life all 268 of Leonardo’s anatomical drawings in the Royal Collection.
As exhibition curator Martin Clayton said, “Leonardo’s drawings are among the finest depictions of the human body ever created. Had he published this work, he would now be known as one of the greatest scientists in history”. So is there an end to Leonardo’s genius? Apparently the answer is no.
Post edited by guest blogger Carlo Formisano
