generic Biltmore welcomes Leonardo da Vinci exhibition
Art enthusiasts can learn how well-known masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper were created at Biltmore’s latest installation in its Legends of Art & Innovation series.
“Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius” is on display at Amherst at Deerpark on the grounds of Biltmore through Feb. 20, 2023.
It’s the third and final installment of Biltmore’s yearlong series of multisensory experiences featuring works of famous artists.
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The immersive experience includes replicas of da Vinci’s large-scale machine inventions, many of which are interactive, and detailed reproductions of his masterpiece paintings, codices and drawings.
When George Vanderbilt moved into Biltmore House in 1895, it was a model of modern technology. It had electrical wiring, underwater lighting in the swimming pool in the home’s basement, telephones, and two elevators, both of which are used daily at Biltmore House.
The exhibition compliments the ingenuity and innovation that were required to design and build the 250-room Biltmore House.
“I think that George Vanderbilt would certainly have been aware of Leonardo da Vinci’s works and legacy — likely more so than those living during da Vinci’s time,” said Biltmore’s archives and curatorial assistant Meghan Forest.
“He kept a travel diary during an 1880 trip to Italy in which he discusses his viewing of da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Additionally, Vanderbilt’s personal art collection includes a set of miniature paintings of history’s great artists, authors, and thinkers. Da Vinci is among them.”
Twenty models of the machines that da Vinci designed are featured, each model constructed directly from the pages of da Vinci’s codices. Artisans who created these models used materials readily available in the 15th century including wood, cotton, brass, iron, canvas and chord.
Exhibitions showcasing the works of Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet were on display earlier.
For more information about the exhibit and tickets, click here.
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