One of only 20 finished paintings, the sale of Da Vinci's portrait of an ethereal Jesus Christ – dubbed Salvator Mundi and translated as 'Saviour of the World'– caused a worldwide media sensation. The most famous Renaissance polymath to ever have lived was thrust into the limelight once again and celebrated for his technical prowess and skill.
All of the 144 works, together with a selection of works on paper from the Queen's personal collection, will then be brought together for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the Queen's Gallery London.
Da Vinci: A Life in Drawing will showcase 200 of the Royal Collection's 550 formidable drawings, which all entered the Royal Collection under Charles II. While Leonardo only produced 20 paintings, he sketched thousands of drawings detailing subjects from anatomy and botany to geology and architecture. Scholars have long marveled at the extent to which Leonardo's meticulous drawings reveal the inner workings of his mind, innovative vision and progressive thinking. Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawings at The Royal Collection Trust, has said that Leonardo's drawings are the main research tool for art historians working on Leonardo Da Vinci today.
Among the highlights of the upcoming show are two 'disappeared drawings' on seemingly blank sheets of paper. A recent investigation has revealed that these sheets are Studies of hands for the Adoration of the Magi, c.1481 and among Leonardo's most intricate works on paper.
Against all odds, Leonardo executed the studies of hands in metalpoint using a copper rather than a silver stylus. Over time the copper has faded and is now invisible to the naked eye. But when presented under ultra violet light, the studies miraculously reappear. The Royal Collection Trust will present these newly discovered drawings, as a highlight exhibit, for the first time next year.
We can hardly contain our excitement.
|What||Leonardo Da Vinci art exhibition: A Life in Drawing, The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace|
|Where||The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1A 1AA | MAP|
|Nearest tube||Victoria (underground)|
24 May 19 – 13 Oct 19, Times Vary
|Website||Please click here for more information|