The Leonardo Exhibition

 

The Leonardo Exhibition

Phew, got up at 5.00am to get to London for an early timed entry into the Leonardo Exhibition in the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery, London. 

I love the timed entry idea, but why, oh why are they always so crowded?  Loads of pushchairs and wheelchairs made everyone's pushing and shoving worse.  National Gallery, please take note - wheelchair users have special needs and really should have their own timed entry to exhibitions so they can see the paintings from their lower perspective, and not have to try to peer through the crowds.  And it's difficult for the rest of us to get close to the pictures if there are lots of wheelchairs in the way.  The ticket is £16 - not cheap - so it's frustrating not to be able to get close.  Anyway, moan over, the exhibition was hung in two parts, one part in the Sainsbury Wing and the Last Supper, with all it's preparatory sketches, in the main body of the National.  Actually, sorry, but I am going to moan again.  The two Virgin of the Rocks were hung in the same room, but at opposite ends so it wasn't possible to see them together, and even more difficult to see them over the heads of the crowds....

 The lightness of Leonardo's penwork and the fineness of his brush are amazing close up.  Of course that's why we go to see exhibitions isn't it? to see real paint, real brush strokes, real talent and really feel the history of each piece?  And of course the twin stars of the show are the Cartoon of the Virgin and Child, and the Last Supper.  The Cartoon is one of my favourites, in fact I bought a poster years ago which was sold to raise money to restore the original.  If my memory serves me correctly, it had been shot - which seems quite unbelievable now.  So yes, it was worth getting up so early, and yes, I'm very pleased to have seen the exhibition, especially as some of the paintings and drawings are too fragile to move any more, and this will probably be the last exhibition like this....