A GALLERY in the North-East has announced that it will display some of Leonardo da Vinci's finest drawings for three months next year.

The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle is celebrating after it was selected by the Royal Collection Trust to host the premier of Ten Drawings by the Renaissance master from February 13 to April 24.

The works have been selected to show the extraordinary scope of the artist's interests, from painting and sculpture to engineering, zoology, botany, mapmaking and anatomy, as well as his use of different media – pen and ink, red and black chalks, watercolour and metalpoint.

Royal Collection Trust director Jonathan Marsden said: “'The drawings of Leonardo da Vinci in the Royal Collection are among the greatest artistic treasures of this country.

“Through this touring exhibition, we aim to bring these extraordinary works of art within easy reach of people across Great Britain and Ireland.'

Julie Milne, chief curator of art galleries at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: "We are honoured to be chosen as the first venue to host this exhibition of ten Leonardo da Vinci drawings on its tour of the UK and Ireland.

“This will be a rare opportunity for people in the North-East to see the exquisite work of one of the greatest artists of all time.

“We take pride in showcasing world-class art at the Laing Art Gallery and partnerships with esteemed organisations such as Royal Collection Trust are vital to helping us achieve this. We are very grateful to be given this opportunity.”

This is the fifth touring exhibition of Leonardo drawings from the Royal Collection since 2002.

Over three quarters of a million people have now seen one of these shows in 16 venues around the UK, from Aberdeen to Truro.

Through drawing, Leonardo (1452-1519) attempted to record and understand the world around him. He maintained that an image transmitted knowledge more accurately and concisely than any words. Nonetheless, many of his drawings are extensively annotated.

Leonardo was left-handed and throughout his life he wrote in perfect mirror-image, from right to left. Rather than an attempt to keep his investigations secret, as has been claimed, this was probably a childhood trick that he never abandoned.

There are almost 600 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci in the Royal Collection. They were originally bound into a single album, which was probably acquired in the 17th century by Charles II.

Royal Collection Trust’s head of prints and drawings, Martin Clayton said: “Leonardo's drawings are the richest, most wide-ranging, most technically brilliant, and most endlessly fascinating of any artist."