About
GENIUS? DID YOU SAY GENIUS?
More than 500 years separate the present day from Leonardo da Vinci’s time… The man who wrote, “I intend to leave a memory of myself in the minds of others”, was, in fact, born in 1452 in the small village of Vinci in Tuscany. Throughout his life, he tried to understand the world around him, through observation and experimentation. He tried his hand at every discipline with unfailing zeal. He was an inventor, architect, theoretician, painter, anatomist and mathematician, amongst others... He was one of history’s greatest geniuses!
Leonardo da Vinci died on 2nd May 1519, aged 67 years, in the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise. Three years earlier, Leonardo had been invited to come to France by French King François I. The King considered him to be his spiritual father and showered him with money and honours. On 23rd April 1519, Leonardo felt his end drawing near. He wrote his last will and testament, appointing his faithful pupil as sole executor of his will and principal heir to his work.
Was Leonardo aware that he was leaving behind an artistic and scientific legacy unprecedented in the history of humanity? What remains of him 500 years after his death? How did he manage to leave such an impression on the world? How did he manage to revolutionise the history of art with just twenty paintings? To find out more about this man’s quest to discover the secret laws of nature, this exhibition invites you to step back in time…
The artist, the engineer, the gourmet
From the 24th February to 3rd November 2024
A FASCINATING GENIUS
The exhibition begins with the legend of Leonardo da Vinci and by the success of the works he left for humankind, firstly, the Mona Lisa and then the Salvator Mundi, the costliest painting in the world. Visitors are immersed in the moment in 2017 when the auctioneer’s hammer at Christie’s in New York slams down to sell the painting for 450 million dollars…
Everybody knows of the famous Mona Lisa in the Louvre… From New York to Tokyo, from Moscow to Bali, from Oslo to Sidney, she is an absolute icon of art history, the most visited and commented work in the world, always elusive with a gaze whose eyes follow us wherever we go, seemingly eternal and full of mysteries!
Booking
The exhibition is accessible without booking. However, it is better to book.
School group
The exhibition gives a spécial offer for school groups (more than 15 people). Contact the call center to have access to this offer.
Access
The exhibition is located in Liège-Guillemins. It is easy access by train and by bus. There are 3 parkings near the exhibition.
For the PRM, the exhibition is accessible by a lift and wheelchairs are available by booking.
