Da Vinci blockbuster show opens

AN EXHIBITION of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, which has been five years in the making, opens tomorrow.

Leonardo da Vinci, Painter at the Court of Milan, at the National Gallery in London, brings together the largest number of surviving paintings by the inventor, scientist and draughtsman.

They include his two paintings of The Virgin of the Rocks, which are being shown together for the first, and possibly the last, time.The National Gallery’s own version, which it bought in 1880, is thought to be too delicate to travel. The other painting is being loaned from the Louvre.

Many of the paintings, in the first exhibition dedicated to his work as a painter, have never been seen in Britain before. The exhibition, which is set to break attendance records, runs until 5 February next year.