Art exhibition: Leonardo da Vinci – A Life in Drawing at Manchester Art Gallery

To mark 500 years since the death of the great man, starting this February, Manchester Art Gallery is presenting an exhibition of some of Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest drawings. It will feature 12 paper-based works that are on loan from the Royal Collection, all of which focus on depictions of human beings. They not only demonstrate Leonardo’s artistic abilities but also show his love of the sciences in his attempts to understand the human body. Included are anatomical studies, idealised male and female bodies, and depictions of an infant and a foetus. There are also grotesque caricatures, depictions of figures in action, and studies of clothing. A variety of creative techniques were used to make them, including pen and ink, watercolour, chalk, and metal point. Alongside the exhibition, there will also be selection of works from the Gallery’s own collection, featuring more depictions of the body in art.

Fri 1 Feb – Mon 6 May, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL, Tel: 0161 235 8888, 10am – 5pm, FREE, manchesterartgallery.org