- Title: Leonardo da Vinci: Louvre's blockbuster exhibition opens its doors
- Date: 24th October 2019
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF LOUVRE MUSEUM SIGN FOR DA VINCI EXHIBITION VISITORS WAITING FOR DA VINCI EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (English) VISITOR FROM NEW YORK, ALAN KANZER, SAYING: "For Leonardo. It's supposed to be the biggest, best exhibition on Leonardo that's taken place in an awfully long time." PEOPLE IN QUEUE "THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH SAINT ANNE" IN EXHIBITION VISITOR LOOKING AT PAINTING "THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH SAINT ANNE" MAN TAKING PHOTOGRAPH OF INFRARED SCAN OF "MONA LISA" STUDY FOR "THE HEAD OF LEDA" VARIOUS OF VISITORS IN EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF "LA BELLE FERRONIERE" "VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS" IN EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (French) VISITOR FROM ALSACE REGION OF EASTERN FRANCE, AURELIE FRANCES, SAYING: "I think it's absolutely great. At school they talk a lot about Leonardo da Vinci and to see his works is amazing." VARIOUS OF DE GANAY VERSION OF "SALVATOR MUNDI" VARIOUS OF VISITORS IN EXHIBITION PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) "VITRUVIAN MAN" IN EXHIBITION PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) PARISIAN VISITOR MATTHIEU LOOKING AT "VITRUVIAN MAN" (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARISIAN VISITOR, MATTHIEU, SAYING: "I was looking forward to this exhibition a lot. The 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci and especially this work, the "Vitruvian Man", and I know it was very difficult to bring it to Paris from Venice. I am very happy to be here this morning to see this wonderful exhibition." VARIOUS OF VISITORS LOOKING AT DRAWINGS DRAWING PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF "MONA LISA" WHICH IS NOT IN SAME EXHIBITION SPACE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF LOUVRE
- Embargoed: 7th November 2019 11:15
- Keywords: Leonardo da Vinci Renaissance art Italian art Louvre museum gallery exhibition
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2GJHON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's Louvre museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, opened its much-anticipated exhibition to the public on Thursday (October 24) to mark the 500th anniversary of the Italian master's death.
Gathering more than 160 paintings, sculptures, letters and drawings from the Renaissance era, 260,000 tickets, which can only be bought online and in advance, have already been sold for the exhibition, which lasts until February 24.
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 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.
A Venetian judge authorized the loan of a few of da Vinci's drawings, including the famous "Vitruvian Man", which will only be shown for two months before returning to Italy due to its fragility.
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.
Diplomatic frictions had cast a shadow over the organization of the Paris show, with Italian politician Matteo Salvini saying pointedly that da Vinci was Italian, not French.
The Louvre did not rule out the possibility of displaying da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi", which became the most expensive painting in the world when it sold for $450.3 million at auction in 2017.
The painting's current whereabouts are unknown after a planned exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2018 was postponed indefinitely. The Louvre exhibition shows a version of the painting known as the de Ganay version, attributed to da Vinci's disciple Marco d'Oggiono.
(Production: Kathryn Carlson and Thierry Chiarello) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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