Leonardo In Edinburgh

By Jeremy Briggs on August 21, 2013

No, not the hero in a half shell, the one the turtle was named after.

He may predate all forms of comics, no matter what you consider to be the first published comic, but given that the Edinburgh International Book Festival is running their Stripped weekend this Bank Holiday weekend and lots of comics artists and comics fans will be in Edinburgh for that, it is worth pointing out that illustrations by arguably the greatest artist ever will be on display at The Queen’s Gallery of the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom of the Royal Mile.

The exhibition entitled Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man displays thirty sheets of Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical studies, which date from the winter of 1510-11 when he carried out some 20 autopsies at the University of Pavia in collaboration with the professor of anatomy, Marcantonio della Torre. This artwork has been part of the Royal Collection since the reign of King Charles II in the late 1600s.

The exhibition uses the latest medical technology including CT and MRI scans, computer simulations and 3D film of the body to explore the modern relevance of Leonardo’s anatomical research.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 10 November 2013 and costs £6.25 for adults. The Queen’s Gallery is a separate building from the royal palace and is open daily from 9:30am to 6:00pm and until 8:00pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout August. The last admission is 1 hour before closing.

There are more details about the Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man exhibition on the Royal Collections website.

Jeremy Briggs

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