Although it might seem strange, Leonardo da Vinci is very popular and loved in Japan, and several prestigious museums in this country have organised important exhibitions dedicated to one of the greatest minds in art history. The exhibition "The Universal Genius at Work. The Mind of Leonardo", hosted by the Tokyo National Museum (March 20 - June 17 2007) goes even further than simply presenting a selection of the works created by da Vinci, as it tries to go beyond and understand the genius way of thinking and elaborating the works.
Several important works have been selected for this event, but the center of interest is without a doubt Annunciation (1472 - 1473), one of the best paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, displayed for the first time in Japan. It was the first work painted by Leonardo as an independent master, but his talent and artisti skills are already present and easy to observe, as well as his sense of observation.
Annunciation (1472-73), by Leonardo da Vinci
The curators have tried to present the life, career and talent of Leonardo da Vinci by focusing on several important aspects, often disregarded or ignored by the general public. For example, the exhibition is examining the link between Leonardo and Andrea del Verrochio, who was one of his masters, as the young artist trained in his workshop in his teenage years. Also, Leonardo da Vinci absorbed quickly the new Renaissance techniques -symmetry and perspectiv - using them in his works. He was also one of the pioneers of aerial perspective, inovating and completing this way of creating the ilusion of landscape.
Leonardo da Vinci also proved to be a master of three dimension depiction, even in the smallest details, due to his keen observation of reality and nature, even if sometimes he kept a small degree of immaturity in his paintings.
The organisers also prepared a huge surprise for those who are also interested in the discoveries and inventions of Leonardo in the scientific field. A special section of the exhibition is presenting some of the famous codices, although (unfortunatelly) are only reproductions, but perfect ones. These already famous codices contain manuscripts and drawings of Leonardo, ranging from art studies and sketches to complicated and enigamtic inventions. More than 8000 pages have survived, scattered in various collections around the world, yet experts say that originally there were twice as many. The genius studied it all, from mechanics to astronomy, from architecture to nature and anatomy, recording everything with great care and attention.
The exhibition is organized with the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan; Ministero degli Affari Esteri della Repubblica Italiana; Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita Culturali della Repubblica Italiana
Photo : tnm.go.jp
www.artline.ro
May 2007
