The Royal Cornwall Museum’s first ever Leonardo da Vinci exhibition has officially opened.

4:51pm Saturday 17th May 2008

Comprising ten exquisite drawings from the Royal Collection, the exhibition celebrates the sixtieth birthday of HRH The Prince of Wales who, in his foreword to the exhibition's accompanying book writes: Of Leonardo, perhaps more than of any other artist, it can truthfully be said that all human life is there', and in even in this small selection of his drawings we can see the infinite variety' of his brilliance.

From his intimate studies of anatomy to his exploration of the power and pent-up energy of the forces of Nature, every variety of human experience is laid before us in Leonardo's drawings; and that is perhaps why he still speaks so strongly to us today.' Despite the awe-inspiring subject matter, there is an intimate feel to the exhibition which means that visitors can get very close to the drawings and appreciate the detail.

Martin Clayton, Deputy Curator of the Print Room of the Royal Library in Windsor Castle, is the man behind it all. He encourages people to get as close as they like to the works of art and says that the variety of drawings represent the very best of Leonardo da Vinci's work in this medium.

"You are seeing some of the greatest works by one of the greatest artists that ever lived. There is an incredible immediacy to these drawings - you are seeing the actual pieces of paper Leonardo held and the marks he made."

Amongst the works on display is A Skull Sectioned'. One of the highlights of the show, Mr Clayton describes it as "one of the finest anatomical drawings ever - it's really quite sobering to think he was doing something that simply has not been surpassed."

Another drawing, The Deluge', forms part of a series of eleven drawings that are described in the exhibition catalogue as being among the most enigmatic and visionary works of the entire Renaissance.' "Leonardo was fascinated by death and destruction," said Mr Clayton.

The exhibition was officially opened by Sir Hugh Roberts, Director of the Royal Collection. Sir Ferrers Vyvyan, chair of the Royal Institution of Cornwall and the county's current High Sheriff, was also in attendance.

"This is the result of a lot of hard work over the last couple of years to get the status the museum needed to attract top quality exhibitions like this one," said Sir Ferrers. "It is absolutely superb and to have it here is extraordinary."

Martin Clayton will be giving a talk about the drawings in the exhibition on 22 May at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £4 each and are available from the Hall for Cornwall booking office.

Entry to the museum is free and visitors can also view the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition free without pre-booking. To guarantee viewing at a specific time, however, tickets can be booked from the Hall for Cornwall booking office. A booking fee of 50p per ticket applies.

In addition to the Leonardo da Vinci drawings, the exhibition also includes 8 old masters from the 15th to 18th centuries from the Royal Institution of Cornwall collection.