Twelve of Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings which have been lent out by the Royal Collection are being exhibited at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum until May.
The collection, which is coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci’s death, is intended to show the breadth of Da Vinci’s knowledge and the various subjects he was focused on.
The exhibit is situated inside within an exhibit hall on the ground floor of the museum. The room has been darkened in order to help preserve the sensitive drawings which can be damaged as a result of improper lighting.
Within the exhibit there are various anatomical drawings. One such drawing is an incredibly accurate representation of the bones, muscles, and tendons found within the foot of a bear. Some other drawings I found interesting were his drawing of the human spine – the first depiction of the spine – as well as the human brain which he drew as a result of an experiment where Da Vinci injected a human brain with molten wax.
Other drawings include a sketch of the ‘star of Bethlehem’, flowers, various weapons, a bird’s eye view of a river valley, and a variety of drawings of people.
The Da Vinci exhibit is spread across the whole of the U.K. to a dozen different museums. Each museum and gallery received a dozen different pieces. Upon the conclusion of this large exhibition the art will be shipped from all the different museums back to the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace where a massive showcase will take place with over 200 different pieces.
Once the exhibit at the Buckingham Palace concludes a collection of over 80 drawings will be taken to the Queen’s Gallery in Holyroodhouse. The exhibit in Edinburgh is planned for the end of the year in November and it will be the largest showing of Da Vinci’s work in Scotland.
Leonardi da Vinci: A Life in Drawing runs from 1 February – 6 May 2019 at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
By Patryk Stepien
