DISCOVER ITALIA!

Leonardo da Vinci, presumed self-portrait by the artist, circa 1512

Leonardo didn’t have the expected Classics-based education, but based his studies upon experience and detailed observation, and he read Image Public Domain Public Image

38 ITALIA! September 2019

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 38 23/07/2019 10:07 Looking for Leonardo One of the grand masters of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci left us a peerless legacy of art, science and imagination. This year is the 500th anniversary of his death. Rachael Martin takes a look at commemorative events in Milan and beyond…

Beatrice d’Este in 1491, Leonardo Model of the aerial screw organised the wedding celebrations and designed costumes for the three-day tournament. In the brief six years Beatrice was married before she died during childbirth, she became a fashion icon for European courts.

Image © Alessandro Nassiri, Museo Museo Nassiri, © Alessandro Image UNEXPECTED PATHS

Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia e della Scienza della Nazionale Both Leonardo and Ludovico were thirty when Leonardo arrived in Milan, and both had lives that had taken unexpected paths. Ludovico was the fourth son of Francesco, Duke of Milan. He never expected power, t is the year 1482. Leonardo da yet became regent for his young nephew Image Public Domain Public Image Vinci arrives in Milan, a thriving Gian Galeazzo Sforza and quickly the de Ludovico Sforza (kneeling, left) and Beatrice d’Este commercial centre, from Florence, facto ruler of Milan. He then became duke (opposite) with their small sons at the feet of the cradle of the Renaissance. Born in in his own right when his nephew died Virgin Mary with the Infant Christ nearby Vinci on April 15, 1452, in suspicious circumstances. Leonardo Iat fourteen he was apprenticed to the was the illegitimate son of notary Ser but based his studies upon experience and Florentine workshop of painter, sculptor Piero da Vinci and a presumed peasant detailed observation, and he read. and goldsmith Andrea del Verrocchio. woman named Caterina. He didn’t have Leonardo spent the longest and most This was the Florence of the Medici the expected Classics-based education, prolific period of his life in Milan and family, where investment in the arts and left a wide-reaching legacy. Renaissance innovation was high. Milan was a city of navigli (canals), and his Before going to Milan, Leonardo hydraulics studies improved navigation wrote a letter to the Duke of Milan, and communication between town and Ludovico Sforza, known as Il Moro, ‘The countryside and ultimately favoured Moor’. It included ten points, nine trade. Artistically speaking, he had a of which covered military attack and huge influence on Milanese, Lombard defence, while the tenth mentioned the and European painting. He gave to Milan hydraulics and architecture that would The Last Supper, Monochrome in Castello make the city more beautiful in times Sforzesco’s Sala delle Asse, the two versions of peace. He also spoke of painting, of The Virgin of the Rocks, La belle ferronnière, sculpture and a majestic bronze horse that Portrait of a Musician and Lady with an

he would build in memory of Francesco Ambrosiana Biblioteca Veneranda courtesy of Image Ermine, a portrait of Ludovico’s mistress, Sforza, father of Ludovico. Cecilia Gallerani. Many believe the latter The Milanese court was also to be the first modern portrait in the flourishing. Ludovico had plans to make history of art. the Milan court the most powerful, the When the French invaded Milan in most beautiful and the richest in Europe. It 1499, Leonardo left, with his Monochrome staged magnificent pageants and masques, unfinished. He later came back to Milan for which Leonardo would later become between 1506 and 1513 and became costume designer and choreographer. Leonardo da Vinci, Map of the city of Milan, red pencil, painter to Charles II d’Amboise, Governor When Ludovico married 15-year-old pen and ink, circa 1507-10, Atlantic Codex f. 199v of the Duchy of Milan.

September 2019 ITALIA! 39

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 39 23/07/2019 10:07 DISCOVER ITALIA! On the trail of Leonardo Leonardo 500 is the programme of events and exhibitions to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death on 2 May 1519 in Amboise, France. Organised by the Milan City Hall, the Region of Lombardy and the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, it runs between May 2019 and January 2020.

VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF Start at the LEONARDO’S MILAN (2 May 2019 – 2 January 2020) Castello Sforzesco This multimedia exhibition comes complete with a life-size Leonardo who IN THE SHADOW OF THE MORO, explains the story of his time in Milan THE SALA DELLE ASSE with a virtual tour of the places he would (16 May 2019 – 12 January 2020) have known. A great start for setting off to The Sala delle Asse, literally ‘The Room explore the city afterwards! of the Tower’ or ‘of the wooden boards’, was Ludovico’s principal reception hall, LEONARDO AND THE SALA re-decorated in the summer of 1498 with di Milano Ranzani © Comune by Mauro Image DELLE ASSE BETWEEN NATURE, Beatrice’s encouragement. The hall was ART E SCIENCE reopened for the 500th anniversary on (16 May 2019 – 18 August 2019) 2 May 2019 and the multimedia This exhibition takes place in the Duke’s installation focuses on the recently restored Chapel and explores the iconographic Monochrome painting that decorates the and stylistic relations between Leonardo, walls. The vault shows a pergola of Tuscan masters and artists on the other side mulberries, (Morus in Latin), in honour of of the Alps. It includes original drawings the duke known as The Moor, with houses by Leonardo, the large number of artists and hills on the horizon. Thus the internal who worked in his workshop, known as the Sala delle Asse, Castello Sforzesco, world of the court is placed alongside the Monochrome after the 2015 restoration Leonardeschi, and other Renaissance artists. wider territory of the duke’s lands. www.milanocastello.it Image © Haltadefi nizione © Haltadefi Image Image © Comune di Milano © Comune Image

Vault of the Sala delle Asse Marco d’Oggiono, Madonna with Child, Saint John and before restoration, 2012 an Angel. Part of the exhibition ‘Leonardo and the Sala delle Asse converging nature, art and science’

40 ITALIA! September 2019

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 40 23/07/2019 10:08 See The Last Supper La Veneranda This painting, commissioned by Ludovico Biblioteca Ambrosiana Sforza in 1495, forms a turning point in art history. It depicts the moment in This library is home to the Atlantic Codex, the Gospel according to St John when and the original letter that Leonardo sent Christ reveals that one of his disciples will to Ludovico before arriving in Milan. betray him. Leonardo didn’t use the fresco technique, but that used for painting on LEONARDO IN FRANCE: SHEETS wooden panels. As a result, after only 20 FROM THE FRENCH DAYS OF THE years the painting started to show signs of CODEX (18 June – 15 September) considerable decay. At the other end of the This exhibition presents 23 papers refectory is The Crucifixion, by Milanese from the Atlantic Codex that date from artist Giovanni Donato Montorfano. Leonardo’s time in France. You have to book to visit The Last Supper. ‘Yes Milano’ offers a discounted ticket to visit five museums within 30 days after your first museum visit, providing you book your visit to The Last Supper when you buy. The five visits covered by the Image © Comune di Milano © Comune Image ticket are: The Last Supper; the museums Madonna Lia by Francesco Galli known as Napoletano, of the Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) circa 1495, Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco. The background of the painting shows an accurate and the Sala delle Asse; the Pinacoteca di representation of Sforza Castle as it was at the Brera; the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana; and the end of the 15th century. Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology.

Leonardo’s The Last Supper is housed in the Convent of www.yesmilano.it Ambrosiana Biblioteca Veneranda courtesy of Image Santa Maria delle Grazie Image courtesy of MIBACT courtesy of Image

Leonardo da Vinci, hydrographic sketches of Romorantin, pen, ink and drypoint

Leonardo da Vinci, study of mechanical wing, pen

and ink, circa 1578-80, Atlantic Codex f. 858r Ambrosiana Biblioteca Veneranda courtesy of Image

LEONARDO AND HIS LEGACY: THE ARTISTS AND THE TECHNIQUES. SKETCHES FROM THE BIBLIOTECA AMBROSIANA COLLECTION (17 September 2019 – 12 January 2020) This explores various aspects of the art of Leonardo and his circle. www.ambrosiana.it

September 2019 ITALIA! 41

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 41 23/07/2019 10:08 DISCOVER ITALIA!

Leonardo’s Horse, Visit the Leonardo Ippodromo di da Vinci Parade San Siro, 2018 Image © Snaitech Image (19 July 2018 – 13 October 2019) The Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum hosts the Leonardo da Vinci Parade. Historical Leonardesque models are placed alongside 16th-century Lombard painters from the city’s Pinacoteca di Brera that were given on trust by the director of the time, Fernanda Wittgens. When the museum opened on 15 February 1953, these were the first two collections shown. www.museoscienza.org

See Leonardo’s horse at Study the portrayal the Hippodrome of horses in art National Museum of Science and Technology (Until 9 November 2019) LUCIO FONTANA: TRIBUTE TO

Image © Paolo Soave, Museo Museo Soave, © Paolo Image Tecnologia e della Scienza della Nazionale The horse statue that Leonardo wanted LEONARDO to build to honour Francesco Sforza, (14 June 2019 – 15 September 2019) Leonardo da Vinci National Museum Ludovico’s father, was never realised This explores links between Fontana of Science and Technology during his time. When it was about to and Leonardo in terms of the horse. be cast in bronze, the metal was used www.museodelnovecento.org for cannons for Ercole d’Este, Lord of Ferrara. Nina Akamu’s version, inspired by Leonardo’s drawings, has stood at the Experience the San Siro Hippodrome since 1999. Artists pay tribute to the work through various Fabbrica del Vapore reproductions based around the city.

Image © Lorenza Daverio, Museo Nazionale Nazionale Museo Daverio, © Lorenza Image Tecnologia e della Scienza della www.ippodromisnai.it The Fabbrica del Vapore’s multimedia, multi-sensorial exhibition immerses you Leonardo Parada at the in the world of Leonardo. Another great National Museum of place to take the kids! Science and Technology www.leonardodavinci3d.it Admire the tapestry at the Palazzo Reale

LEONARDO’S SUPPER FOR FRANCIS I: A MASTERPIECE IN SILK AND SILVER (7 October 2019 – 23 January 2020) This shows one of the earliest copies of The Last Supper, executed for the French court, who couldn’t transport the real thing. The tapestry was probably woven in Flanders to a design by Bramantino.

Image © Paolo Soave, Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia e della Scienza della Nazionale Museo Soave, © Paolo Image www.palazzoreale.it

42 ITALIA! September 2019

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 42 23/07/2019 10:08 curvature and shadows theories. The base The Leonardo reproduces a 500-year-old map used to OTHER monument in measure the city. Piazza della Scala EXHIBITIONS IN ITALY AND Image © Depositphotos Image Take the kids to the Leonardo3 museum BEYOND THE LEONARDIANO MUSEUM The museum is specifically dedicated to The Leonardo Museum is located research about Leonardo and has over 200 right in the old town centre of interactive 3D reconstructions, including Vinci, a small hamlet of medieval a multimedia version of the Atlantic Codex origins about 30km from Florence. where you can explore 52 virtual machines, Piazza dei Guidi, 50059 Vinci FI. see what they do and watch them in action. www.museoleonardiano.it Ride on the virtual paddle boat, explore a digitally restored version of the The Last MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, PARIS Supper or build your own Leonardo designs Da Vinci died in France at Château in the building room. The museum also du Clos Lucé in the Loire Valley, has a dedicated space to Leonardo’s musical and about one third of his body instruments. A working model of the of work is held in the Louvre. Continuous Organ, designs for which are in There are celebrations at Clos Lucé the Codex Madrid, had its world première through this summer, while a major in June 2019. exhibition at the Louvre is planned See the monument in www.leonardo3.net for the autumn. Piazza della Scala www.vinci-closluce.com www.louvre.fr

And finally, visit La Gioconda, at The statue of Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre Piazza della Scala was designed by Pietro Leonardo’s vineyard Magni and inaugurated in 1872. It

shows Leonardo surrounded by four of his Ludovico gave Leonardo the vineyard in Domain Public Image students, Gian Giacomo Caprotti (known 1498 that is in the garden of the beautiful as Il Salinaio), Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Casa degli Atellani villa. Thanks to specific Marco D’Oggiono and Cesare Da Sesto. studies to determine the DNA of the vines, Daniel Libeskind’s contemporary the vineyard was recreated for Expo 2015. Leonardo Icon is a short walk away, outside Explore the history of both house and the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Oblique metal vineyard at leisure. lines reflect Leonardo’s studies of the earth’s www.vignadileonardo.com

Fun for everyone at the Leonardo3 museum

‘LEONARDO DA VINCI: A LIFE IN DRAWING’ EXHIBITION, LONDON The Royal Collections Trust brings together more than 200 of the Renaissance master’s greatest drawings in the Royal Collection, forming the largest exhibition of Leonardo’s work in over 65 years. The exhibition runs until 13th October at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. For more information see this month’s News.

Image © Leonardo3, www.leonardo3.net © Leonardo3, Image www.rct.uk

September 2019 ITALIA! 43

IT178.LookingForLeonardo.ncm4.indd 43 23/07/2019 10:09