National Gallery reveals magic touch behind Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin on the Rocks in new exhibition

Layers: X-rays uncovered Leonardo’s initial outlines for the figures before he settled on the final design
The National Gallery, London
Robert Dex @RobDexES14 August 2019

Even an artistic genius is not above a bit of finger painting. An exhibition revealing Leonardo da Vinci’s creative process will show the early sketches used to plan one of his masterpieces, and the handprints left where the paint was patted down to make it more even.

Four rooms at the National Gallery will be dedicated to Leonardo’s The Virgin Of The Rocks, with visitors able to see original drawings that were transformed over the years into the painting.

X-rays reveal two versions under the surface, showing his initial designs for the Virgin Mary and the angel, before settling on the final image.

High-resolution photos taken during the research show handprints created by someone — either Leonardo or an assistant — using their fingers to pat down a layer of paint and smoothing over the cheek of the Virgin Mary.

They are part of an immersive show where visitors will be able to step into a mock-up chapel to see how the painting was originally intended to be displayed and how the legendary polymath’s scientific research inspired the effects of light and shadow.

The nearly 6ft-high painting, believed to have been completed in about 1508, is the only one in the exhibition — a rare single-piece display that highlights the work’s importance.

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The gallery’s Dr Gabriele Finaldi said: “This exhibition represents a fascinating new venture for the National Gallery, combining the most recent technical research on The Virgin Of The Rocks with an immersive, enveloping experience, giving visitors the opportunity to explore Leonardo da Vinci’s creative process in making this masterpiece.”

One of the great geniuses of European art, Leonardo’s work includes the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and Salvator Mundi — the recently rediscovered painting of Christ which became the most expensive artwork sold at auction when it fetched $450 million (£335 million) in 2017. Leonardo is also credited with developing early concepts for inventions such as the parachute, helicopter, tank and calculator.

The gallery worked with 59 Productions — artists and technology experts who previously worked on the V&A’s sell-out David Bowie show — for the exhibition. Managing director Richard Slaney said it would let visitors “explore the fascinating layers of this iconic masterwork in an immersive way”.

He added: “We work at the nexus between technology and art … applying the latest cutting-edge technologies in the pursuit of incredible storytelling.”

Leonardo: Experience A Masterpiece, from November 9 to January 12

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