An exhibit looking at the works of Leonardo Da Vinci opens Friday at the Cincinnati Museum Center. "Da Vinci - The Genius" examines his contributions to the arts, medicine, and science.
"Da Vinci – The Genius takes us deep… into the mind of one of history's most brilliant individuals," says Cincinnati Museum Center CEO Elizabeth Pierce. "And it does it in a way that lets you get your hands on scientific principals behind some of Da Vinci's most incredible inventions."
The exhibit features scale and life-size models of some of Da Vinci's inventions, including planes and helicopters, a tank, and a submarine.
Many of the models are operational and visitors are encouraged to "push, pull, and crank" the moving parts, Pierce says.
Replicas of Da Vinci's paintings are also on display, including a projected animation of The Last Supper, the Vitruvian Man, and the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa is examined in depth in the exhibit, with a look at a scientific examination of the painting. Pascal Cotte studied the Mona Lisa for more than two years, using a multi-spectral camera to see how Da Vinci created the painting. Cotte says he has discovered 180 previously unknown details of the portrait.
"I discovered that Leonardo created this painting in four phases," Cotte says.
"This discovery changes the way how we can look at this painting because this portrait is a superposition of many portraits."
"Da Vinci – The Genius" is open at the Cincinnati Museum Center until September 25.
