Leonardo Da Vinci drawings on display in region this weekend

The show, Ten Drawings from the Royal Collection, premieres at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle and runs until April 24.

The works in the exhibition, which are owned by the Queen and kept at Windsor Castle, have been chosen to show the scope of the artist's interests, from painting and sculpture to engineering, mapmaking, zoology, botany and anatomy.

They also show his use of different media, including pen and ink, red and black chalks, watercolour and metalpoint.

Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawings at Royal Collection Trust, said: “We have more than 500 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci in the Royal collection. It is the finest collection in the world and by far the most important.

“Drawings and works on paper can’t be on permanent display so we make them accessible by organising temporary exhibitions.

“This is a selection of ten of the finest of Leonardo’s drawings and I have tried to encompass all of his many activities.

“There is a whole range of different types of drawing. You get such an overview of all of Leonardo’s work and that is what we are trying to achieve in this.”

Drawings by Da Vinci in the Royal Collection were originally bound into a single album, which was probably acquired in the 17th century by Charles II.

They are said to be the richest, most wide-ranging, technically brilliant, and fascinating of any artist.

Among the drawings in the exhibition is a chalk study for the head of St Anne, a male nude, a set of drawings of a baby’s chubby limbs and ink drawings of horses.

Sarah Richardson, keeper of art at the Laing Art Gallery, said: “It is beyond exciting.

“It really is overwhelming because Leonardo is such a fantastic artist. “The ten drawings in this exhibition are absolutely great and he had such an interesting life as well. It is really thrilling to have it here.”

A small admission charge applies; see www.laingartgallery.org.uk for details and booking.