a man holding a matted notebook page in front of a window in a library setting

Explore Leonardo da Vinci works from Queen Elizabeth II's private collection

Buckingham Palace is showcasing the largest Leonardo exhibit in six decades, marking the 500th anniversary of his death.

Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings at the Royal Collection Trust and curator of the exhibition, “Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing,” holds up one of Leonardo’s sketches in the Print Room at Windsor Castle. The double-sided sheet contains multiple profiles and, at top, the Madonna and Child with the infant Baptist.

Photograph by Paolo Woods and Gabriele Galimberti

The Royal Collection’s drawings by Leonardo da Vinci don't leave their protected sanctuary at Windsor Castle very often. But 2019, which marks the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death, is different. On May 24, the largest exhibition of Leonardo’s works in more than six decades debuts at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, offering visitors a unique opportunity to see ink strokes and chalk marks made in Leonardo’s own hand.

The exhibition, “Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing,” is comprised of some 200 drawings (about one-third of the Leonardo pages held by the Royal Collection) illuminating the artist’s expansive curiosity, subject matter, and technique. The selection include sketches for The Last Supper; designs for weaponry; and

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