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New Exhibit Focuses on Da Vinci DesignsWhen Leonardo da Vinci died nearly 500 years ago, his masterpieces - "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper" - were among the dozens of paintings he left behind.
His sketches, however, numbered in the thousands.
In his drawings, he imagined designs for creations that would allow humans to walk on water and under the sea, soar above the Earth and even change how they fought wars.
It's those designs and contraptions that are the focus of "Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius," a new exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry opening Friday.
"He is the very spirit of inventive genius that this museum looks to inspire people with," said John Beckman, the museum's manager of temporary exhibits.
Many of Leonardo's creations did not get built in his lifetime - they were either impractical or impossible based on the technological expertise of the day.
But 60 wooden models in the show, made by a father and son team in Florence, manage to give viewers an inside look at the mind of the ultimate Renaissance man.
Many will look very familiar to contemporary eyes.
Many of Leonardo's designs had a military function because they were commissioned by patrons, Beckman said.
Perhaps his most gruesome creation was "a reaping wagon" pulled by a horse and featuring rotating blades that would cut off the legs of anyone
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15/4/2006 | Viewed 17,419 time(s)
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