Size matters for this bird

TWELVE of the finest drawings by Leonardo da Vinci from the Royal Collection will be coming to the North East.

The works will be brought to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens next year to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death.

It comes after 10 of his pieces were put on display at Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery in 2016 and attracted thousands of visitors.

Councillor John Kelly, Sunderland City Council’s portfolio holder for public health, wellness and culture, said: “This partnership with Royal Collection Trust and the opportunity to host this iconic exhibition demonstrates our city’s deserved reputation as an emerging culture hub.” Sunderland is one of 12 UK venues chosen by the Royal Collection Trust to simultaneously hold the Leonardo da Vinci: A Life Drawing exhibition. The display will include examples of all the drawing materials employed by the artists, including pen and ink, red and black chalks, watercolour and metal point. It will also present new information about Leonardo’s working practices and creative process, gathered through scientific research using a range of noninvasive techniques, including ultraviolet imaging, infrared reflectography and x-ray fluorescence. Coun Kelly added: “The exhibitions held at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens continue to be a huge attraction in our city centre and the welcome they receive from both residents and visitors give us ever more opportunities to host hugely important shows.”

Following the exhibitions at Royal Collection Trust partner venues, the drawings will be brought together to form part of an exhibition of more than 200 sheets at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace in May 2019.

It will be the largest exhibition of his work in more than 65 years.

A selection of 80 drawings will then travel to The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse in November 2019 – the largest group of the artist’s works ever shown in Scotland.

Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawing at the Royal Collection Trust, said: “We hope as many people as possible across the UK will take this unique opportunity to see these extraordinary works, which allow us to enter one of the greatest minds in history, and to understand the man and his achievements.”

It will happen between February 1 and May 6 next year. SCIENTISTS have found that, despite their diminutive size, larger hummingbird species are able to outmanoeuvre smaller birds by relying on their muscle capacity and wing loading – the ratio of the wing area compared with body mass.