Louvre gears up for its biggest ever Leonardo da Vinci retrospective

The Louvre in Paris is gearing up for its largest-ever Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, in celebration of the artist's 500th death anniversary. Reportedly, the exhibition will feature more than 160 of the artist’s works which will be displayed in the museum's Napoleon Hall for four months starting October 24. Cose to 200,000 bookings had made in advance for the exhibition.

Putting together the master's enduring legacy 

Titled “Leonardo da Vinci”, the curators took ten long years to put together the show that includes works on loan from Queen Elizabeth and Bill Gates. Louvre itself owns five of the artist’s paintings, more than anybody else, including the Mona Lisa. According to reports, curators of the exhibition managed to get six Leonardo paintings on loan for the show. Many paintings were too fragile to be moved and loaning them involved delicate diplomacy.

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During a preview for staff at the Louvre, chief curator at the Louvre’s department of paintings Vincent Delieuvin claimed that it is a must-visit show for everyone. The show will bring Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop back to life, he said.

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An unprecedented retrospective 

The museum authorities explained that the unprecedented retrospective of da Vinci’s painting career will illustrate the manner of his work, how important painting was to him. They also informed that the exhibition will paint the portrait of a man and an artist of extraordinary freedom.

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Apart from the iconic Mona Lisa, that sits at her usual spot in the Louvre, four new paintings will be specially exhibited in the show: The Virgin of the Rocks, La Belle Ferronniere, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Anne. 

“The objective is to place them alongside a wide array of drawings as well as a small but significant series of paintings and sculptures from the master’s circle,” the Louvre said.

The exhibition will run until February.

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