Da Vinci exhibition offers educational experience for pupils

The group of grade 6 and 7 pupils was also treated to an exclusive talk by French engineer and esteemed Vincian expert, Pascal Cotte, who revealed 25 new secrets about Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous painting.

Cotte is the only person ever to be allowed to photograph the original Mona Lisa painting, and has virtually peeled away the layers of five centuries of paint, varnish and restoration work from the iconic painting by means of the 240-megapixel multispectral camera he invented.

The exhibition, which has journeyed to 40 cities and been seen by more than four million people worldwide, has significant educational value and is therefore also a must-see for pupils and educators. Offering a display of more than 200 unique pieces, including 75 life-size machine inventions and high definition renderings of Da Vinci’s most notable Renaissance works, all built by Italian artisans using materials available in Da Vinci’s era, it is the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind to bring to life the ideas and concepts written in Da Vinci’s codices.

One of the exhibition’s main attractions showcases the unveiling of the 25 secrets of the Mona Lisa, ­leaving visitors in greater awe of this elusive painting.

The exhibition also houses the only 360 degree exact replica of the painting ever made – meticulously crafted by Cotte – to allow visitors an up-close and personal look at it. Although the original painting will not be on display as it is housed permanently in the Louvre in Paris and is too fragile to be moved, the exhibition showcases the priceless piece of art in a way that has never been seen before.

The Da Vinci – The Genius exhibition will run until 22 June at The Amazing Place, and highlights his genius as an artist, inventor, musician, mathematician, anatomist, architect, sculptor, engineer and all-round Renaissance thinker.