AN exhibition showcasing twelve of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings is to open at the Ulster Museum today to mark the 500th anniversary of the Renaissance artist and inventor's death.
Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing will open simultaneously at 12 museums and galleries across the UK - giving members of the public a unique opportunity to see the work of the extraordinary artist.
The 12 drawings selected for display in the Ulster Museum reflect Leonardo’s expansive knowledge of architecture, anatomy, engineering, cartography and botany.
Famous works include The Head of St Anne, drawn around 1510 in preparation for his famous masterpiece The Virgin and Child with St Anne, which hangs in the Louvre, and an anatomical drawing from 1489, The Skull Sectioned.
Organised by the Royal Collection Trust, the exhibition also includes examples of drawing materials used by the artist, including pen and ink, red and black chalks, watercolour and metalpoint.
Anne Stewart, senior curator of Art at National Museums NI, said it was a "very special exhibition of one of the world’s most celebrated artists".
"Beyond a handful of drawings, most of Leonardo’s great projects were never completed," she said.
"His surviving drawings are therefore our main source of knowledge of his extraordinary achievements.
"Each drawing in the exhibition offers its own fascinating story and insight into the exceptional talent and mind of Leonardo."
Martin Clayton from the Royal Collection Trust said the exhibition "demonstrates the extraordinarily wide range of Leonardo’s work throughout his lifetime and is a thrilling opportunity for audiences to engage directly with one of the greatest minds in history".
Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing exhibition runs until May 6. Admission is free.
