Museum Home Past Exhibitions Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture: Inspiration and Invention

March 23–June 20, 2010 at the Getty Center

ExhibitionEventsPublications

Admission to the Getty Center is FREE. No tickets or reservations are required for general admission. For visitor information, see information on planning a visit or call (310) 440-7300. All events are free, unless otherwise noted. Reservations are required for performances, lectures, seminars, and courses.


Family Festival

Enter the world of Leonardo and Renaissance Italy in this full-day celebration with music, dance, storytelling, and interactive workshops. Discover Leonardo's monumental plans, listen to Italian opera, folk music, and folktales, and enjoy the hidden treasures of the original Italian classic Pinocchio. Free; no reservations required.

Learn more and see the day's full schedule.

Saturday, June 5, 2010, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Courtyard


Lectures

Leonardo da Vinci versus Michelangelo: Battles in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Julian Brooks, associate curator of drawings, the J. Paul Getty Museum, investigates the rivalry between Leonardo and Michelangelo, which was precipitated by their commissions in Florence, and the astonishing innovations that resulted.

Read a post about the Leonardo exhibition by Julian Brooks on our new blog, the Iris.

Sunday, May 30, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Il Cavallo: A Sculptural Homage to Leonardo da Vinci
Sculptor Nina Akamu talks about the creation of her giant 24-foot-high bronze horse in homage to Leonardo's unfinished Sforza monument.

Sunday, May 9, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Leonardo da Vinci's Science, Technology, and Art
Jonathan Pevsner, professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and scientific consultant to the Discovery Channel's Doing DaVinci series, explores Leonardo's wide-ranging interests in the mind and body, and how this knowledge informed his work in sculpture.

Sunday, April 18, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Curator Spotlight: What Should a Sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci Look Like?
Leonardo designed and produced sculpture throughout his career, but few of the works—and, according to some scholars, none—have survived. In a provocative lecture, Gary Radke, professor at Syracuse University, discusses how art historians have tried to reconstruct Leonardo's sculptural production, presenting arguments for attributing two previously unrecognized figures to the master.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium


GettyGuide™ Audio Player

Listen and learn why Renaissance man Leonardo was not only a painter, draftsman, and inventor—but also a sculptor. Pick up an audio player in the Museum Entrance Hall.



 

Gallery Course

Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance Sculpture: Looking Closely
Enjoy an introduction to the exhibition—including behind-the-scenes stories and a study of the main themes—by Getty Museum curators Julian Brooks (associate curator of drawings) and Anne-Lise Desmas (associate curator of sculpture and the decorative arts). Course fee $20. Open to 100 participants.

Saturday, May 8, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Lecture Hall


Studio Courses

Sculpting Leonardo's Vitruvian Man
Join sculptor Christopher Slatoff for this daylong workshop and explore the geometry and proportions of the human figure using the canon of proportions employed by Leonardo and his circle. Participants work in clay from a live model to create two, small-scale figurative sculptures. Course fee $155 (includes materials and lunch). Open to 25 participants.

Course offered twice:
Thursday, April 29, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 20, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Studios

Silverpoint Drawing Workshop
Leonardo and other Renaissance artists used silver wire to create delicate drawings. Join artist Sylvana Barrett in this day-long drawing workshop that explores the material and techniques of silverpoint. Learn to prepare the drawing surface, render with silver wire, and heighten works with handmade white paint. Course fee (includes materials and box lunch) $120.

Wednesday March 31, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Studios

Culinary Workshop: Leonardo's Renaissance Table
The Renaissance master Leonardo was an early animal-rights advocate and a promoter of vegetable eating, a contrast to the meat-eating practices of his time. Discover the art and edibles of 16th-century Italy while exploring texts on food and diet written by Leonardo and his contemporaries, then cook and enjoy a vegetarian meal based on historic recipes. Course fee $75. Open to 20 participants.

Course offered twice:
Thursday, May 13, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 3, 2010, 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m
Getty Center, Private Dining Room and Museum galleries