Da Vinci - The Genius

If you're a fan of Leonardo da Vinci's, then this is something you don't want to miss.

Located inside the Venetian, take a walk through "Da Vinci - The Genius." Presented by Grande Exhibitions, this limited-time engagement (now through Jan.2013) features a vast exploration of the artist's work. The interactive experience allows you to explore da Vinci’s timeless brilliance through full-scale interpretations of the mastermind’s inventions and unparalleled exhibits of his iconic art. 

“'Da Vinci – The Genius' is the most complete and comprehensive da Vinci exhibition on the planet,” said John Caparella, president of the Venetian. “It’s a perfect complement to the Venetian’s summer-long Carnevale festival and the emerging arts community in Las Vegas.”

Many know da Vinci just as an artist, but he was much more than that. "Da Vinci – The Genius" demonstrates the full scope of da Vinci’s life as an inventor, artist, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, musician and architect. Created by da Vinci experts in Italy and France, "Da Vinci – The Genius" features 11 compelling areas of da Vinci’s work, offering visitors a look inside the mind of the man who laid the groundwork for some of society’s most impactive inventions, like the helicopter, airplane, automobile, submarine, parachute and bicycle.

You'll also discover da Vinci introduced improvements on many musical instruments (like the flute) by simplifying their playing technique and creating new sound effects. The museum also explains how da Vinci studied birds and the science of flight, which later spawned his sketches of planes in his notebooks. 

Enjoy more than 200 unique pieces including 75 life-size machine inventions, 3-D renderings of da Vinci’s most notable Renaissance works along with an in-depth analysis of his most famous piece, “Mona Lisa.” Since many of these exhibits are hands-on, you'll get to push, pull, crank and interact with them and understand the scientific principles behind them. 

To create these inventions seen in the exhibit, Italian artisans used the same techniques and materials from the Renaissance period. Scouring more than 6,000 pages from da Vinci’s personal notebooks, the artisans deciphered hidden clues, intentional mistakes and mirror-image writing that da Vinci employed to keep his works top-secret.

While you're here, check out the "Secrets of Mona Lisa" exhibit, featuring the findings of French scientific engineer and examiner of fine art, Pascal Cotte. In 2004, Cotte was granted access to “Mona Lisa” by the French government and the Louvre Museum. Cotte conducted a scientific analysis that revealed dozens of secrets about history’s most elusive art piece. The exhibit showcases Cotte’s study and 25 compelling revelations, illustrated by 40 super-magnified, high-resolution sectional images exploring every aspect of the work. 

Cotte invented a camera that captures 240 million mega pixels. With these high resolutions, Cotte was able to take precise measurements of the painting. We're talking a whopping 4,000 measurements in a square millimeter. When Cotte was assigned this project, he said, "Yes, I can do it, but I need the night. I finished my work at 8 o' clock in the morning. So I really spent the night with Mona Lisa!" 

This particular part of the exhibit also provides several theories on her missing eyelashes and eyebrows. If you're a fan of the painting, this exhibit will definitely intrigue you. 

Other highlights include reproductions of “Virgin of the Rocks”and “The Annunciation,” amazing anatomical sketches, the preparatory drawings of the “Anghiari Battle,” and 3-D interactive presentations of “The Last Supper,” the “Vitruvian Man,” and the “Sforza Horse” sculpture. You'll also get a glimpse of da Vinci’s mysterious alphabet and writing techniques on an interactive touch-screen. 

The exhibition was developed jointly by the Anthropos Association of Italy and Grande Exhibitions, under the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute and Friends of FAI (FAI - the National Trust for Italy).

-- Review by Jeannie Garcia