Eds note: Many art historians (Leonardo expert Martin Kemp among them - more here) find Seracini’s claims over-the-top and his techniques rather questionable. At the time that this hit the press in 2011 a group of 150 art historians from museums including the New York Met and the National Gallery in London signed a petition to stop the work. However, this talk may be of interest to readers. Some suggested pre-talk reading here and here that counters many of Seracini’s claims.
Leonardo’s lost Battle of Anghiari mural is one of the biggest mysteries in the history of Western art. The artwork was painted by Leonardo in 1505, in the Hall of the 500 in the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of government in Florence. The painting was considered one of the highest achievements of the Renaissance. Nevertheless, just a few decades after its completion, the mural disappeared during the remodelling of the hall carried out by Giorgio Vasari, architect for the Medici family.
Using investigative x-ray and thermographic technologies, Professor Maurizio Seracini has been searching for Leonardo’s lost masterpiece since 1975. In this discussion, Professor Seracini will talk about his long quest, the technology that he has used and the latest results of his research.
Maurizio Seracini is a Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Visiting Professor at Monash University, a National Geographic Fellow and a scholar in applying science and engineering technologies to the interdisciplinary study of art, architecture and archaeology.
Venue: State Library of Victoria (Village Roadshow Theaterette)
Date: Tuesday 12 August 2014, 6:30pm - 7:30pm