TICKETS are now available for a long-awaited display offering a flavour of the works of the Italian master, Leonardo da Vinci.

Expected to be among the most eagerly-anticipated exhibitions ever held at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing, opens next month.

Featuring a dozen drawings from the Renaissance figurehead, it is part of a national tour to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.

Sunderland is among 12 UK venues chosen by the Royal Collection Trust to simultaneously host the exhibition, which will feature, in total, 144 of da Vinci’s drawings.

Following the respective showcases of his work, the portrayals will be brought together to form part of an exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery, at Buckingham Palace, the largest exhibition of his work in more than 65 years.

A selection of 80 of the drawings will then travel to The Queen’s Gallery, in The Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, in November, to form the largest group of da Vinci’s works ever shown in Scotland.

A range of accompanying art projects will complement the exhibition in Sunderland, from February 1 to May 6.

There is also a family programme which includes a Leonardo-themed week, during the school half-term holiday, from February 18 to 22, and other events during the Easter fortnight, in mid-April.

Tickets for Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing, costing £2.50, can be pre-booked online by visiting www.sunderlandmuseum.org.uk or at the museum reception, in Borough Road, Sunderland, during opening hours.

Entry for under-16s is free, but they will need a ticket.