Much about Leonardo Da Vinci remains an enigma: the smile of the "Mona Lisa"; why the world's most famous painter left so many works unfinished; and more recently, who bought the contentious "Salvator Mundi."
A new exhibit at the Louvre, however, opening Thursday and marking the 500th anniversary of the Italian master's death, tries to sketch out as complete a picture of the artist and thinker as possible.
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Much about Leonardo Da Vinci remains an enigma: the smile of the "Mona Lisa"; why the world's most famous painter left so many works unfinished; and more recently, who bought the contentious "Salvator Mundi."
"We wished, in order to pay homage to the artist, to be able to show the entirety of Leonardo Da Vinci's career and his development and to explain, ultimately, the sense of his life," curator Vincent Delieuvin told The Associated Press.
With a whole room devoted to his scientific pursuits, it seeks to capture the quest for knowledge and perfection of a man Delieuvin called "a universal genius."
Several of Da Vinci's completed paintings will be on display, including "La Belle Ferronniere" and "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne." The "Mona Lisa" will remain in its case, upstairs. Visitors will be able to see "Portrait of a Musician" on loan from the Vatican and "Benois Madonna" from St. Petersburg, among other works the Louvre borrowed for the occasion.
The dispute fanned the flames of a broader debate about Da Vinci's legacy and Italian national identity.
"I assure everyone that the French have never appropriated Leonardo Da Vinci," he said. "Leonardo is a genius who is evidently Italian, he was entirely formed in Italy, and he would not have become Leonardo Da Vinci in France."
For now, a variation of "Salvator Mundi" created in Da Vinci's studio hangs in the Louvre exhibit. Delieuvin said he does not know who owns the original, but he's holding out hope it will be sent over.
Artworks displayed at the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
Drawing from the Louvre's permanent collection and institutions around the world, the exhibit brings together some 160 works. They include Da Vinci masterpieces, dozens of studies and scientific sketches, and pieces by other artists in Da Vinci's orbit. Visitors can also experience a virtual reality portion of the exhibit that delves into the story behind the "Mona Lisa."
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci displayed at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
"We wished, in order to pay homage to the artist, to be able to show the entirety of Leonardo Da Vinci's career and his development and to explain, ultimately, the sense of his life," curator Vincent Delieuvin told The Associated Press.
The exhibit runs through Feb. 24, 2020. Visitors must reserve tickets online in advance, and the Louvre said it has already pre-sold 220,000 tickets as of Monday morning.
More than 10 years in the making, the project began when Louis Frank, the exhibit's other curator, translated a Renaissance-era Da Vinci biography to round out existing knowledge about the painter's life. That biographical emphasis is evident in the exhibit's design, which traces the artist's trajectory from his apprenticeship with Florentine sculptor Andrea del Verocchio to his death in France in 1519.
A journalist experiences the virtual reality performance during the visit of Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
With a whole room devoted to his scientific pursuits, it seeks to capture the quest for knowledge and perfection of a man Delieuvin called "a universal genius."
"Leonardo Da Vinci, he is one of those rare men, those personalities who fascinate us, because he was universal," Delieuvin said. "He had an interest in all aspects of nature, we all see ourselves in his personality."
"Mathematicians, geometry specialists, doctors, artists, everyone sees a part of themselves in Leonardo," he added.
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Leonardo da Vinci during a visit at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
Several of Da Vinci's completed paintings will be on display, including "La Belle Ferronniere" and "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne." The "Mona Lisa" will remain in its case, upstairs. Visitors will be able to see "Portrait of a Musician" on loan from the Vatican and "Benois Madonna" from St. Petersburg, among other works the Louvre borrowed for the occasion.
Some pieces proved more difficult to obtain. The "Vitruvian Man," Da Vinci's famous drawing of the ideally proportioned male figure, arrived in France from Venice's Accademia Gallery only days before the exhibit's opening.
Italian heritage group Our Italy tried to block the loan, saying the drawing was too fragile to be moved. An Italian court originally suspended the loan before ruling last week that it could travel to France for eight weeks. In exchange, the Louvre will lend several works by Raphael to Rome next year.
"The Euclidean demonstration of the Pythagorean theorem" by Leonardo da Vinci displayed at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
The dispute fanned the flames of a broader debate about Da Vinci's legacy and Italian national identity.
"A Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit is very difficult to do, since Da Vinci has become a symbol," Delieuvin said, calling it "natural" that some museums are reluctant to lend pieces from their collections.
Though Da Vinci died in France, Delieuvin said Louvre officials recognize and celebrate the painter's Italian roots.
A journalist studies Saint Jean Baptiste artwork by Leonardo da Vinci during a visit at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct. 24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
"I assure everyone that the French have never appropriated Leonardo Da Vinci," he said. "Leonardo is a genius who is evidently Italian, he was entirely formed in Italy, and he would not have become Leonardo Da Vinci in France."
Another, still-absent piece has also drawn significant attention. The Louvre put out a call for the "Salvator Mundi" but has yet to receive the painting, which sold to an anonymous buyer for a record-breaking $450 million in 2017.
It's unclear where the painting is, but speculation abounds that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is its new owner. Art experts, meanwhile, remain divided over whether Da Vinci in fact painted the work.
Visitors stand next to Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
For now, a variation of "Salvator Mundi" created in Da Vinci's studio hangs in the Louvre exhibit. Delieuvin said he does not know who owns the original, but he's holding out hope it will be sent over.
Delieuvin has said the Louvre will withhold judgment on its provenance until they have the painting in hand.
Artworks are displayed at the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
Artworks displayed at the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre museum Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Paris. A unique group of artworks is displayed at the Louvre museum in addition to its collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. The exhibition opens to the public on Oct.24, 2019. (AP PhotoRafael Yaghobzadeh)
PARIS (AP) —
Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year’s prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with a depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza, a heartrending photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece. The photograph, taken in Khan Younis just days after Salem’s own child was born, shows 36-year-old Inas Abu Maamar holding five-year-old Saly, who was killed along with her mother and sister when an Israeli missile struck their home.
Salem, who is Palestinian, described this photo filed Nov. 2 last year, as a “powerful and sad moment that sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip.”
The image ”truly encapsulates this sense of impact,” said global jury chair Fiona Shields, The Guardian newspaper's head of photography. “It is incredibly moving to view and at the same time an argument for peace, which is extremely powerful when peace can sometimes feel like an unlikely fantasy,” she added.
The World Press Photo jury praised the shot’s sense of care and respect and its offering of a “metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss.”
This is not the first time Salem has been recognized for his work on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; he received a World Press Photo award more than a decade ago for another depiction of the human toll of conflict in the Gaza strip.
In the three other global categories announced Thursday, South Africa’s Lee-Ann Olwage won Photo Story of the Year for her touching series “Valim-babena,” featured in GEO magazine. The project focused on the stigmatization of dementia in Madagascar, a topic she explored through intimate portraits of “Dada Paul” and his family. Lack of public awareness surrounding dementia means that people displaying symptoms of memory loss are often stigmatized.
In the series, “Dada Paul,” who has lived with dementia for 11 years, is tenderly cared for by his daughter Fara. One of the standout images in the series shows him preparing for church with his granddaughter Odliatemix, capturing moments of normalcy and warmth amidst the challenges of dementia.
Photographer Alejandro Cegarra, a Venezuelan native who migrated to Mexico in 2017, won the Long-Term Project award for “The Two Walls,” published by The New York Times and Bloomberg. Cegarra’s project, initiated in 2018, examines a shift in Mexico’s immigration policies, which have moved from being historically open to enforcing strict regulations at its southern border. The jury said the photographer's perspective as a migrant gave it a “sensitive," human-centered perspective, according to a press release.
Julia Kochetova of Ukraine won the Open Format award for “War Is Personal.” The project stood out from coverage of the ongoing conflict by offering a personal look at the harsh realities of war. On a dedicated website, she merged traditional photojournalism with a diary-like documentary style, incorporating photography, poetry, audio clips and music.
The Associated Press won the Open Format award in the regional Africa category with the multimedia story “Adrift,” created by journalists Renata Brito and Felipe Dana. The story investigates the fate of West African migrants who attempted to reach Europe via a treacherous Atlantic route but ended up on a ghost ship discovered off Tobago. The team’s compelling use of photography, cinematography and detailed narrative, enhanced by expert design and multimedia elements, highlights the perils faced by migrants and the human stories behind global migration issues.
The Associated Press' Ebrahim Noroozi won the Asia Stories award for his series “Afghanistan on the Edge,” which documents the country since the Taliban took over in August 2021.
World Press Photo is an independent, nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, founded in 1955.
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a series titled Afghanistan on the Edge by Ebrahim Noroozi, Associated Press, which won the World Press Photo Asia Series category and showsAn Afghan refugee rests in the desert next to a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in Torkham, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. A huge number of Afghans refugees entered the Torkham border to return home hours before the expiration of a Pakistani government deadline for those who are in the country illegally to leave or face deportation. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a series titled Afghanistan on the Edge by Ebrahim Noroozi, Associated Press, which won the World Press Photo Asia Series category and shows : Since the chaotic Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, an already war-devastated economy once kept alive by international donations alone is now on the verge of collapse. There isn't enough money for hospitals. The World Health Organization is warning of millions of children suffering malnutrition, and the U.N. says 97% of Afghans will soon be living below the poverty line. Three Afghan internally displaced children look with surprise at an apple that their mother brought home after begging, in a camp on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows a mortuary technician opening the door of a refrigerator used to store the remains of migrants recovered from inside the Mauritania boat that appeared drifting near the island of Tobago, in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows young fishermen walk into the ocean to board an artisanal fishing boat in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows Moussa Sako, an asylum-seeker from Mali, who survived 22 days aboard a Mauritanian boat drifting in the Atlantic Ocean covers his face during an interview with the Associated Press in Guadalajara, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award. Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award and shows a stabilization point near Bakhmut, Ukraine, of the 5th assault brigade and 77th brigade. Hospitalliers battalion - volunteer battalion of combat medics are helping here. Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/Der Spiegel/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award and shows the training of mobilized conscripts of 68th brigade in Donetsk region, not far from frontline. 68th brigade recently liberated Blagodatne village during the Ukrainian counter-offensive. The instructors came from US, working for NGO "Saber".Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/Der Spiegel/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Alejandro Cegarra for The New Times/Bloomberg is part of a series titled The Two Walls which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award and shows Carlos Mendoza, a Venezuelan migrant, crossing the Rio Grande river to seek asylum in the United States. Piedras Negras, Mexico, 7 October 2023. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times/Bloomberg/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Alejandro Cegarra for The New Times/Bloomberg is part of a series titled The Two Walls which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award and shows a migrant walking atop a freight train known as "The Beast." Migrants and asylum seekers lacking the financial resources to pay a smuggler often resort to using cargo trains to reach the United States border. This mode of transportation is very dangerous; over the years, hundreds have fallen onto the tracks and have been killed or maimed. Piedras Negras, Mexico, 8 October 2023. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times/Bloomberg/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Lee-Ann Olwage for GEO is part of a series titled Valim-babena which won the World Press Photo Story of the Year Award and shows Dada Paul Rakotazandriny (91), who is living with dementia, and his granddaughter, Odliatemix Rafaraniriana (5), get ready for church on Sunday morning at his home in Antananarivo, Madagascar. 12 March 2023. (Lee-Ann Olwage/Geo/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Lee-Ann Olwage for GEO is part of a series titled Valim-babena which won the World Press Photo Story of the Year Award and shows Joeline (Fara) Rafaraniriana (41) watches her father, Dada Paul Rakotazandriny (91) clean fish at home on Sunday afternoon. A typical Sunday consists of the family attending church in the morning and spending time together in the afternoon. Fara works during the week and as the sole provider and carer for her daughter and father struggles to manage all her responsibilities in the absence of assistance by her siblings who live close by. Mandrosoa Ivato, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 12 March 2023. (Lee-Ann Olwage/Geo/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Mohammed Salem of the Reuters news agency won the World Press Photo Award of the Year and shows Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embracing the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters/World Press Photo via AP)
