Leonardo da Vinci — genius and his machines
Apart from Leonardo's machines, the exhibition also included his anatomical diagrams, alongside fragments of his pictures and architectural designs replicated to scale models. The exhibition was accompanied by a screening of a docu-drama about the artist.
While exploring the exhibition, the visitors could familiarise themselves with, for example, Leonardo's Codices, whose enlarged replicated fragments were on display. These testified to the versatility of the Master's interests, as Leonardo was equally curious about plants, humans, atmospheric phenomena, architecture and mechanical devices. A large format reproduction of Leonardo's masterpiece Lady with an Ermine (the original picture being the property of Czartoryski Princes' Foundation at the National Museum in Kraków) was a wonderful example of his painting. Additionally, the organisers provided teachers with classroom teaching resources, which were designed by Włodzimierz Maj, an educational specialist from the Centrum Kształcenia Nauczycieli (Centre for Teacher Development) in Warsaw, who collaborates on the production of educational materials and resource packs published by Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. This programme was intended to be used with schoolchildren of different age groups.
The mysterious figure of the Renaissance Genius has fascinated and intrigued people for centuries. New findings and speculations over his biographical details provoke intense emotions even today. The exhibition was also an opportunity for visitors to meet Sonia Draga, a publishing house owner who presented Polish readers with The Da Vinci Code, and to listen to a first-hand account of how the book was received by the Polish market.
Academic supervision was provided by Professor Juliusz A. Chrościcki from the University of Warsaw, Head of the Committee on Art Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The exhibition was designed by Violetta Damięcka and Żaneta Govenlock.
This showcase gave visitors the opportunity to get familiar and interact with the multiple forms (including models and studies) of the Master's achievements in the fields of human anatomy, architecture, engineering, hydrodynamics and aerodynamics. The exhibition took several years to prepare, and involved co-operation with Italian scientists and archivists, who attempted to bring to life Leonardo da Vinci's concepts, contained in his famous Codices as sketches and descriptions. Consequently, several dozen models and devices were made by Florentian craftsmen under the supervision of scientists
The exhibition was divided into the following sections: civil machinery, weaponry, flying and hydraulic machines. The highlight of the exhibition was a display of 45 models of machines which were built using the natural materials available in the 15th—16th centuries: wood, cotton, iron, brass and ropes. Each model was supplemented with an extract from Leonardo's manuscript, which featured the design of the device, along with an explanation of its history and function. This enabled comparisons between models created in the 20th century, and original concepts by the Renaissance inventor.
