Leonardo da Vinci: The Faces of the Genius

The word 'genius' gets bandied about a lot these days, but Leonardo da Vinci was an artist and scientist who certainly deserved the description. To mark the centenary of da Vinci's death, the National Library in Madrid hosts an exhibition that takes visitors through the artist's life, at times seeing his works with your own eyes, at times from da Vinci's point of view, discovering details that you may have known about the man or his work. Through images, infographics, interactive and audiovisual elements, or using virtual or augmented reality, the exhibition shows the multiple facets, dreams, achievements, and failures of the Renaissance genius. Also available for public viewing for the occasion are the Madrid Codices, two manuscripts handwritten by da Vinci that are housed in the Library. In the lobby, you'll find reconstructions of machines drawn in the Codices as well as one of the biggest projects he ever undertook: the enormous horse designed for Ludovico Sforza.