Art appreciators unable to travel the globe to view Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings and sketchbooks firsthand or consult experts about the pieces’ intricacies and significances are in luck.
Director Phil Grabsky has taken the educational vacation for you and whittled down his findings into the single digestible and immensely informative documentary, Leonardo: The Works.
Essentially a VIP tour of the world’s great museums and galleries, the film offers a series of crisp, up-close and extended looks at Leonardo’s notable paintings, enhanced by gorgeous choral music, plus insights from art scholars on how, when and why the works came to be, sprinkling in biographical anecdotes to craft a well-rounded, chronological portrait of this extraordinary man.
Is it all a bit dry and academic? And perfect PBS background entertainment to spottily engage distracted viewers with occasional wondrous images and relatable buzzwords? Sure, but for folks who are moved by beauty and even minutely interested in Leonardo, the film delivers.
Screens at the Fine Arts Theatre on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., and Feb. 29 at 11 a.m.
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