Hundreds of art fans flock to see Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Crowds outside the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

IT’S a scene not witnessed since the Staffordshire Hoard first went on public display.
Nearly 1,000 people are flocking to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery every day to see the blockbuster Ten Drawings exhibition featuring the work Leonardo da Vinci.

More than 31,500 visitors have seen the once-in-a-lifetime show since it opened on January 13 and the public’s appetite for the master shows no sign of slowing.
The exhibition’s busiest day so far was Monday when 1,384 people visited, the highest attendance at the gallery since the Staffordshire Hoard was first on display in 2009.
The drawings are taken from the Royal Collection and are on tour to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Coun Martin Mullaney said: “I am delighted by the huge public response to this magnificent show at Birmingham’s world class Museum and Art Gallery.
“This exhibition, which marks the start of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, is further evidence of the city’s reputation for attracting high profile exhibitions that will bring both local people and visitors to the city.”
The drawings illustrate the scope of Leonardo’s interests which spanned painting and sculpture, engineering, botany, mapmaking, hydraulics and anatomy.
One of the main attractions is The Head of Leda. The work, which is based on Greek mythology, was a preparatory drawing for the painting Leda and the Swan which was destroyed around 1700.
The Royal Collection contains a group of around 600 drawings by Da Vinci, which are preserved in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.
The exhibition runs at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until March 25 and admission to the show is free.