Emma J ShipleyAbove: Spinning wheel
When Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned many of us conjure up visions of great masterpieces like Mona Lisa or The Last Supper, while he was also a gifted draughtsman. The Science Museum celebrate the restless and curious mind of this individual thinker through their interactive exhibition.
His drawings are an inspiration in the fields of art and engineering. Using drawing as a tool to explore his ideas, Leonardo looked to the natural world for inspiration and solutions to technical problems. Fascinated with flight, he spent several periods of his life observing birds in flight and taking a methodical approach to his sketches of mechanical wings.
"Leonardo was determined to imagine what could be, instead of what is"
The exhibition showcases 39 historical models such as flying machines, diving apparatus and weapons - all made in Milan in 1952 in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's birth. Experience the birth of his ideas through large scale reproductions of his drawings and sketches alongside the three-dimensional interpretations of the machines.
"Although human subtlety conceives various inventions...it will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous. - Leonardo da Vinci, Quaderni d'anatomia"
An inspiring, forward thinker for his time, Leonardo was determined to imagine and challenge what could be, instead of what is.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Genius
10th February - 4th September 2016
Tickets: £10 (concessions £8)
Open: 10am - 6pm
The Science Museum
Exhibition Road,
South Kensington
London, SW7 2DD
Exhibition images copyright EPPDCSI - Ph Levy.
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