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Cultural Scene and Heard: Renaissance Man –
By Mike Sweeney
History has seen its share of brilliant minds, but few have equaled the legendary wisdom and humanist ideals of Leonardo da Vinci. In his life as an artist, scientist, engineer and inventor, he demonstrated the kind of innovative imagination we don’t often see in our technologically advanced world. Local residents now have the chance to draw some inspiration from the master at Da Vinci – The Genius, a new exhibit open now through October 15th at The Venetian.
Cracking the Code
Your tour begins with an in depth look at detailed replicas of da Vinci’s personal notebooks, also known as codices. These provide a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s thought process, showing how he cleverly wrote his notes in mirror image script and left out crucial details of his invention designs as a sort of 16th century anti-piracy measure. Most of da Vinci’s forward thinking inventions were never realized during his lifetime, but thanks to the dedicated work of skilled Italian artisans, we can now marvel at impressive mock-ups of da Vinci’s imaginative concepts, many built only with techniques and materials that were available during the Renaissance period.
Living Dreams
From antiquated forerunners of the modern helicopter and parachute to primitive takes on scuba gear and an odometer, the exhibit offers a captivating array of da Vinci’s dreams brought to life, proving that he was a man centuries ahead of his time. A talent for civil engineering shines through in a model of his plan for an ideal city meant to control the spread of disease, while military devices such as a steam powered cannon and a precursor to the modern day tank prove that the great artist was not necessarily a pacifist. The fact that such brilliance could stem from the mind of a single individual is quite staggering. By the way, don’t feel like you need to keep your hands in your pockets, as many of the inventive displays encourage tactile interaction.
Master Strokes
While da Vinci’s passion for invention knew no bounds, he is perhaps best remembered for his dramatic contributions to the art world, and here you’ll find expert reproductions of some classic pieces. A replica of Vitruvian Man, da Vinci’s famous sketch detailing the ideal human proportions, hangs beside a video presentation analyzing the drawing’s concise measurements. On the opposite wall hang facsimiles of the artist’s meticulous anatomical sketches, drawn from the then-controversial practice of dissecting human cadavers. Another video presentation takes a closer look at The Last Supper. The famous fresco is projected on a large screen in its actual 15 by 29 foot size, followed by a concise study of the painting’s significance and restoration.
No examination of da Vinci’s art would be complete without a look at his most celebrated work. The Secrets of Mona Lisa portion of the exhibit details the findings of Pascal Cotte, a French scientific engineer and fine art expert, who was granted unprecedented access to the painting by the Louvre. Using a multispectral camera of his own design, Cotte was able to digitally scan the painting (out of its frame) across a wide spectrum of light at a stunning resolution of 240 million pixels, digging through layers of paint to reveal hidden secrets. Here you can examine 40 super magnified sectional images that explore all aspects of the painting, from the subject’s missing eyebrows and eyelashes and the position of her hands to how the painting’s colors have faded over time. Cotte’s analysis sheds even more light on one of art’s most enigmatic works… but he still can’t tell us what she’s smiling about. After all these centuries, da Vinci still has his secrets.
The world may never see another mind to equal that of Leonardo da Vinci, but thanks to revealing exhibits such as Da Vinci – The Genius, we can get an inside look at how one of history’s great thinkers changed the world around him and influenced the world we know today.
For more information, visit www.venetian.com.
