Extraordinary New Da Vinci Work On Display At "Da Vinci - The Genius"

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new discovery from the hands of Leonardo da Vinci, "Horse and Rider"  is on display to the public for the first time at Da Vinci – The Genius at The Venetian in Las Vegas, presented by Imagine Exhibitions. Visitors to the exhibition now have the rare opportunity to see the mold and original bronze cast of the only known Leonardo da Vinci sculpture surviving today.

Created more than 500 years ago from a block of solid beeswax, "Horse and Rider" was authenticated by the foremost authority on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, Dr. Carlo Pedretti. Based on Pedretti's verification, a mold was created from the delicate wax sculpture to preserve Leonardo's work and intent as the beeswax began to deteriorate, which was then cast in bronze. 

"'Horse and Rider' could not find a better place to call home than Da Vinci – The Genius," said Tom Zaller, CEO and President of Imagine Exhibitions Inc. "We are honored to be hosting this incredible find through the remainder of the exhibition's run in Vegas."

An early maquette for an apparently unfinished monument, "Horse and Rider" features a rider in full military regalia on horseback. Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 before he could complete the larger project, leaving Horse and Rider to his star pupil, Francesco Melzi. It is believed that the piece remained with Melzi's family in Italy until the 1930s, when it was taken to Switzerland for safekeeping through WWII.

In 1985, world-renowned Leonardo expert, Dr. Carlo Pedretti was called on to verify its authenticity. After his in-depth analysis, Pedretti declared that he believed it was from the hands of Leonardo da Vinci himself. Photos of the model appear in the Catalogue Raisonne of Leonardo's drawings known as the Queen's Collection at Windsor Castle, Horses and Other Animals. The beeswax model is also well documented in the scholarly work "Leonardo da Vinci: Scientist, Inventor, Artist" by Otto Letze and Thomas Buchsteiner.

It was the desire of Richard A. Lewis, the current owner of the original mold taken from the model, to share this incredible find with the world. Limited edition casts of the sculpture were created in four different finishes: Leonardo Classic, Classic Bronze, Verde and Silver. These casts are on display at Da Vinci – The Genius and available for purchase. Lewis will be making a $1 million dollar donation from the sales of "Horse and Rider" to The Salvation Army Rehabilitation Program of Southern Nevada.

"Horse and Rider" will be on display at Da Vinci – The Genius during the rest of its limited engagement at The Venetian through January 2013. The exhibition is open daily to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and tickets are available to purchase at The Venetian box office and venetian.com.

ABOUT DA VINCI – THE GENIUS
Created by Grande Exhibitions and presented in Las Vegas by Imagine Exhibitions, Da Vinci – The Genius is the most comprehensive exploration of da Vinci's works ever created. Featuring 13 themed areas and over 200 unique pieces, the exhibition demonstrates the full scope of Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable genius including dynamic examinations of art, flight, music, military engineering, aquatics, anatomy, time and more. Visitors can also dive in to da Vinci's most elusive work in "The Secrets of Mona Lisa" exhibit, featuring the findings of French scientific engineer and examiner of fine art, Pascal Cotte. Granted unprecedented access, Cotte took "Mona Lisa" out of its frame to conduct an analysis that revealed dozens of secrets about history's most elusive art piece, showcased by 40 super-magnified, high-resolution sectional images exploring every aspect of the work. Da Vinci – The Genius was developed by Grande Exhibitions, Australia, the Anthropos Association, Italy, under the kind auspices of the Commune di Roma, Commune di Firenze and Citta Di Venezia and with the assistance of Pascal Cotte of Lumiere Technologies, France. Visit DaVinciTheGenius.com for more information.

ABOUT IMAGINE EXHIBITIONS
Imagine Exhibitions is the global resource for all things related to exhibitions. From design to creation, placement to presentation, marketing and operations, Imagine has the experience and inspiration to bring the best possible exhibition to any venue. Imagine is currently producing Genghis Khan, the Exhibition, The Great Wall of China, Chinasaurs, Bigger than T. Rex, Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs and Dinosaurs in Motion. Da Vinci – The Genius is the first of many exhibitions that Imagine Exhibitions will showcase at The Venetian®. In the last year, Imagine has worked in cooperation with the Andy Warhol Museum, Dali Universe, Georgia Aquarium, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and the Mob Attraction in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.imagineexhibitions.com.

ABOUT GRANDE EXHIBITIONS
Creators and promoters of Da Vinci – The Genius who have researched, sourced and interpreted much of what is contained in the exhibition. Based in Rome, Italy and Melbourne, Australia, Grande Exhibitions is dedicated to delivering high-quality exhibitions of mass appeal that entertain and educate audiences globally. Together with the Anthropos Association, they own and operate a series of private museums in the Italian cities of Rome, Venice, Florence and Assisi.

ABOUT THE ANTHROPOS ASSOCIATION
From Il Genio de Leonardo Da Vinci Museo in Rome, talented and gifted Artisans have made the machine inventions and many items that you see on display at Da Vinci – The Genius. They have spent more than 10 years bringing to life more than 120 of da Vinci's concepts and designs and use the main techniques and materials available in 15^th Century Italy.

ABOUT THE VENETIAN RESORT-HOTEL-CASINO®
The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, the largest property in the country to receive AAA's Five Diamond and the coveted Forbes Travel Guide Four Star awards, is one of the world's most luxurious resort and convention destinations. Recreating Venice's legendary landmarks, the LEED® EB Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified resort offers unmatched service and quality for leisure and corporate guests. With suites ranging from a standard 650-square-foot Luxury Suite to the luxurious 10,000-square-foot Chairman Suite, the all-suite resort boasts more than 4,000 of Las Vegas' most lavish suite accommodations. Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, The Venetian features The Grand Canal Shoppes®, an indoor streetscape complete with gondolas and singing gondoliers, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub®, world-class gaming, exquisite restaurants, a wide variety of entertainment such as "Soul2Soul" with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and "Rock of Ages – The Musical," showroom headliners including David Spade, Rita Rudner, Tim Allen and Joan Rivers, and extensive convention and corporate services. Guests can earn points while they eat, sleep, shop and play with Grazie, the premier loyalty program, which rewards guests with the ease and usability of just one card and one program. The Venetian and its sister resort, The Palazzo Las Vegas, are the first ever Alliance Resorts in the InterContinental Hotel Group® global portfolio. For additional information, visit venetian.com, follow on Twitter @venetianvegas and interact on Facebook at facebook.com/venetianlasvegas.

SOURCE Imagine Exhibitions