Da Vinci’s Workshop

It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. – Leonardo da Vinci

In this one quote, one may attempt to summarize the life of Leonardo da Vinci. A poor attempt it will be, but sufficient to some extent in giving people an insight into the life and ideology of this great man. Regarded as the epitome of the “Renaissance Man,” Leonardo da Vinci is more famous for his paintings such as the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper.’

However, his skills were not restricted to simply the artistic field. He was a polymath and was interested in diverse areas of study, aeronautics, astronomy, anatomy, civil engineering, botany, geology, chemistry, hydrodynamics, geometry, mechanical engineering, mathematics, physics, optics, zoology, and pyrotechnics being some of them!

He is also renowned to be a great inventor and it is only in the last 150 years that the full extent of his studies has been recognized. He is credited with conceptualizing several inventions, though he never received credit for them. He laid down ideas for the helicopter, calculator, battle tank, and the use of solar power. Here again, the list is not exhaustive by any means. For lack of better words, one can simply say that his life was fascinating.

If you are interested in knowing more about this creative genius, head over to the Discovery Times Square Exposition (226 W 44th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves; 866-987-9692) where the Leonardo da Vinci workshop is being hosted until March 14. As New York Times puts it “This exhibit should be seen.”

Inventions from his notebooks have been brought to life in this world premiere exhibit. There are full scale models of his inventions including the self-propelled cart, and airplane. You can even see the life sized, walking model of the mechanical lion that was originally designed to amuse King Francis I of France, and the robot knight that was meant to be an artificial soldier to scare away the invaders.

Using an innovative touch screen technology, more than 500 sketches from his notebook have been translated into 3-D models, and as you flip through the replicas of Leonardo’s notebook, you can see for yourself whether technology has been able to do justice to his vision. You can also get a closer look at some of his famous paintings with the help of cutting edge technology, extensive 3D imaging and animations.

A trip to this exhibition gives you an idea of how ahead of his times Leonardo da Vinci was. A salutation to this man and his genius!

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