A dozen drawings by Leonardo da Vinci will be on display for the first time in the United States at an exhibition opening this summer in Washington, D.C. They come from the Codex Atlanticus, the largest collection of drawings and writings in Italian by the legendary polymath, which spans some 1,200 pages spread over 12 volumes.
Leonardo kept the Codex Atlanticus from 1478 to 1519, the year of his death, and it has been kept at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan since 1637.
A range of subjects are included in the collection, such as botany, flight, mathematics, musical instruments and weaponry. Engineers and designers have found in its pages rich material for their work. Art historian and Leonardo expert Carlo Pedretti dubbed the codex, which spans the artist’s entire career, the most important of the master’s manuscripts.
Leonardo da Vinci, hydraulic pump and fountain in a building. ⓒ Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana/Portfolio Mondadori.
“Imagining the Future—Leonardo da Vinci: In the Mind of an Italian Genius” opens June 21 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, in Washington, D.C.
Indicating Leonardo’s great ambition, a drawing explores the concept of perpetual motion without an external source of energy, as well as imaginative architectural studies. Another plate bears witness to the artist’s interest in underwater exploration, showing concepts of diving gear as well as water pumps. Another contains detailed diagrams and calculations exploring mathematical principles, such as the golden ratio, as they apply to art and architecture.
Some drawings in the exhibition can be linked to modern mechanisms, the organizers point out: Leonardo’s study for a digging machine inspired today’s digging machines; its conception of a self-propelled cart finds echoes in our autonomous vehicles; and his diving apparatus influenced underwater exploration.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
