Las Vegas Sun: “Perfect, perfect, perfect!” That’s how art historian Dr. Carlo Pedretti described “Horse and Rider,” the Leonardo da Vinci sculpture whose mold and original bronze cast were put on view to the public for the first time Tuesday inside the Imagine Exhibitions Gallery’s “Da Vinci — The Genius” exhibit at the Venetian.
Leonardo da Vinci's “Horse and Rider” sculpture displayed at the Imagine Exhibitions Gallery in The Venetian
A renowned expert on the life and works of da Vinci, Pedretti’s words didn’t come easily — particularly given that the work is considered to be the only surviving examples of da Vinci’s sculpture work.
The original sculpture, thought to be a study for a larger equine portrait of da Vinci’s friend and patron Charles D’Amboise, was crafted over 500 years ago from a block of beeswax. While the artist’s casting process was never completed, a mold and bronze cast were made from the work in 1985. “Horse and Rider,” owned by businessman and civil engineer Richard A. Lewis, has only been shown in private gatherings before Tuesday’s unveiling.
Jonah Cohen (J.C.) oversees online communications for Las Vegas Sands Corp. Passionate about social media, he chronicles the conversations in and around the company. Got a story to share? Send him an
Aug 23, 2012
Hi J.C., hope you have enjoyed the summer.What I find intriguing about Leonardo Da Vinci was that this man thought wisely that if he documented his ideas,illustrations,notes, and journals, that one day everyone would except his acomplishments.To produce 13,000 pages of hand written thoughts and not seek to have this published, or back then copied by the monks,leads me to believe this artist became introvert.Fortunately his friends saw the need to save these works for museums to treasure and for tourist to enjoy!!
Aug 28, 2012
Hi Sean! Good to hear from you. My apologies for this late reply. I’ve been struggling with what I fear might be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (ugh), so I’ve been reducing my writing to rest my wrist a little. Anyway, I completely agree with you. It’s impossible not to be in awe of Leonardo da Vinci. Did you see the exhibit at The Venetian? It’s wonderful.