Leonardo da Vinci
extended until Sunday, 30 June 2016
Out of the nine drawings by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) that are in German collections, four are in the possession of the Hamburger Kunsthalle’s department of prints and drawings, the Kupferstichkabinett. To mark the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Hamburger Kunsthalle and 500 years after the death of this polymath genius, the museum is once again displaying these four drawings together in their own exhibit for the first time in ten years. These highly sensitive graphic works are masterpieces of draftsmanship and are among the most valuable artistic treasures of the Kunsthalle as a whole.
Since the Leonardo drawings of the Hamburg collection are in such high regard, on this special anniversary year, they will also be seen on loan in some of the most illustrious museums, such as the Louvre in Paris and the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. For this reason, they can only be displayed together here at the Hamburger Kunsthalle for the short period of two weeks.
All four drawings were donated to the newly opened Kunsthalle in 1869 by the Hamburg-based art dealer Georg Ernst Harzen (1790-1863). Fittingly, it is the Harzen-Kabinett, which was named after this outstanding donor, where the current exhibition is located.
The drawings are accompanied by about 30 graphic reproductions and photographs of paintings and drawings of Leonardo from five centuries. This exhibition examines the paths that da Vinci’s works have taken since the Renaissance as they have spread throughout the world. It took several centuries until good reproductions became available for some of his most iconic works of art, such as »The Last Supper« (1494/1497) or »Mona Lisa« (1503/1506). This exhibition shows, apparently for the first time in Germany, the wide range of “translations” into different media from these two world-famous pieces, but also those made from other paintings such as »The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne« and »John the Baptist«.
Supported by: Freunde der Kunsthalle e. V.
TIME WINDOW TICKETS: As we can only grant limited access to the LEONARDO DA VINCI exhibition, we recommend early purchase of time window tickets. When purchasing a regular or concession ticket in the Online Ticket Shop, the time slot ticket is included. The Time Window Ticket is available free of charge at the box office next to the admission ticket. Persons who enjoy free admission pay a nominal fee of 4 euros for a time slot ticket in the Online Ticket Shop, which is free of charge at the box office.
