- Title: At home of Mona Lisa, a retrospective on da Vinci's life and work
- Date: 20th October 2019
- Summary: FRANCE (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OIL PAINTING BY LEONARDO DA VINCI "LA BELLE FERRONIERE" ON DISPLAY AT LOUVRE EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF DA VINCI OIL PAINTING "SAINT ANNE" ON DISPLAY DA VINCI EXHIBITION CURATOR, VINCENT DELIEUVIN, LOOKING AT DRAWING "VETRUVIAN MAN" "VETRUVIAN MAN" (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOUVRE"S LEONARDO DA VINCI EXHIBITION CURATOR, VINCENT DELIEUVIN, SAYING: "The Musee du Louvre (Louvre museum) had to do something in 2019 because Leonardo da Vinci decided to come in France in 1516, and it's in France that he died 500 years ago. And thanks to that, we are very lucky because we have five paintings by Leonardo da Vinci (at the Louvre)." DA VINCI OIL PAINTING "SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST" VARIOUS OF OIL PAINTING "BENOIS MADONNA", WHICH WAS LENT BY ST. PETERSBURG'S STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM FOR LOUVRE EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF UNFINISHED OIL PAINTING "SAINT JEROME", LENT BY VATICAN FOR EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOUVRE"S LEONARDO DA VINCI EXHIBITION CURATOR, VINCENT DELIEUVIN, SAYING: "We have, for example, one wonderful painting coming from the Hermitage at St. Petersburg, Russia, the Madomme Benois (Benois Madonna). We have the first experience of Leonardo da Vinci on the unfinished, the 'Saint Jerome' coming from the Vatican. We have also his most beautiful drawings, first of all, the 'Vetruvian Man' coming from Venice, but also another wonderful drawing - maybe the most beautiful drawing of Leonardo da Vinci - 'The Head of Woman' coming from Torino in Italy." DA VINCI DRAWING "THE HEAD OF WOMAN" DA VINCI'S DRAWING MODEL OF "VIRGIN ON THE ROCKS" PAINTING VARIOUS OF OIL PAINTING "VIRGIN ON THE ROCKS" VARIOUS OF DA VINCI'S CHARCOAL DRAWING "THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH SAINT ANNE AND SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST", WHICH WAS LENT BY NATIONAL GALLERY OF LONDON FOR LOUVRE EXHIBITION DELIEUVIN LOOKING AT "VETRUVIAN MAN" "VETRUVIAN MAN" (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOUVRE"S LEONARDO DA VINCI EXHIBITION CURATOR, VINCENT DELIEUVIN, SAYING: "The 'Vetruvian Man' is the most famous drawing of Leonardo da Vinci, so I can understand that my colleagues from Venice, at the beginning, were quite frightened because it's also a piece of paper. But at the end, the condition of the drawing was good, and it was possible to transport it from Venice to Paris. And finally, we found a good collaboration between Italy and France, and we are very happy - so happy - to see it here in our exhibition." RECREATION OF DA VINCI'S "THE LAST SUPPER" BY MARCO D'OGGIONO ON WALL / JOURNALIST LOOKING AT DRAWINGS BY DA VINCI VARIOUS OF DA VINCI DRAWINGS PIECES ON DISPLAY AT EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOUVRE"S LEONARDO DA VINCI EXHIBIT CURATOR, VINCENT DELIEUVIN, SAYING: "Well what is sure is that Leonardo da Vinci is an Italian genius. He learned everything in Italy, in the Renaissance in Italy. He's not French, he only spent his last years in France. And that's why we are today - the institution - owning most of his paintings. But Leonardo da Vinci also started as an Italian, but he became a universal genius. His works, his paintings, his drawings impressed everybody in the world." PARIS, FRANCE (RECENT - OCTOBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DA VINCI'S "MONA LISA" AT THE LOUVRE TOURISTS TAKING PHOTOS PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OIL PAINTING "THE MIRACLE OF SAINT DONAT D'AREZZO" BY LORENZO DI CREDI AT DA VINCI EXHIBITION HANS MEMLING OIL PAINTING "PORTRAIT OF A MAN WITH A ROMAN MEDAL" AT EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF ALESSO BALDOVINETTI PAINTING "MADONNA AND CHILD" AT EXHIBITION PEOPLE WALKING BY LOUVRE PYRAMID
- Embargoed: 3rd November 2019 14:31
- Keywords: France Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa Vetruvian Man exhibit death anniversary 500 years Italy
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1WI5HJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's Louvre museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, has assembled more than 160 paintings, sculptures, letters and drawings from the Renaissance era in an exhibition to mark the 500th anniversary of the Italian master's death.
Da Vinci left his native Italy when his patron died, and spent his last years in France as the guest of the French monarch, until he died in May 1519 at the Loire Valley chateau that had become his home.
The exhibition, which opens next Thursday (October 24), shows 10 of the paintings now attributed to da Vinci, including those kept in the Louvre - Saint Anne, Saint John the Baptist, The Virgin of the Rocks and La Belle Ferronnière - and works lent from other institutions for the exhibition.
Last week, a Venetian judge authorized the loan of a few of da Vinci's drawings, including the famous "Vetruvian Man", which will be shown for two months only in Paris, due to its fragility.
Exhibit curator Vincent Delieuvin said the Louvre is "very happy" to put the sensitive drawings on display.
Specialists disagree on the exact number of works that can be attributed to the artist, with some putting the figure at 14 and others saying it is 17.
The da Vinci exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, and two dozen drawings lent by Queen Elizabeth II. Some of the works are by Da Vinci himself, some are by other artists and are there to put the Italian maestro's work into context.
The exhibition will not feature da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which is viewed by around 30,000 people every day, because it could risk overcrowding the space, Delieuvin said.
Diplomatic frictions had cast a shadow over the organization of the Paris show, with former Italian Prime minister Matteo Salvini saying pointedly that da Vinci was Italian, not French.
But Delieuvin said that although he was born Italian, da Vinci would always be a man of the world.
"Leonardo da Vinci also started as an Italian, but he became a universal genius," Delieuvin said. "His works, his paintings, his drawings impressed everybody in the world."
(Production: Thierry Chiarello, Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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