The first comprehensive survey of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings ever presented in America, this international loan exhibition will bring together nearly 120 works of extraordinary beauty by one of the great masters of all time. Even in an era of boundless scientific discovery and technological invention, and of sublime artistic and humanistic achievement, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) stands as a supreme icon in western consciousness—the very embodiment of the universal Renaissance genius. The exhibition will survey Leonardo's staggering contribution as an artist, scientist, theorist, and teacher. Gathered from private and public collections in Europe and North America, the selection of drawings will include rarely exhibited works and will illustrate a great variety of drawing types. The exhibition will also integrate a small group of drawings by artists critical to Leonardo's formation in Florence and to his multifaceted activity in Milan, in an attempt to offer a unified view of the great master's legacy.
The exhibition is made possible by Morgan Stanley.  Additional support has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, Paris. An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.