Practitioners of Art and Medicine: a Conversation

The Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, will host a conversation between Marilène Oliver and Francis Wells, who collaborated over the sculpture "Leonardo's Great Lady", where they reflect on the experience from the different perspectives of artist and scientist.

Sculptor Marilène Oliver and cardiothoracic surgeon Francis Wells have collaborated to deconstruct Leonardo da Vinci's famous anatomical drawing, The Great Lady, in order to reconstruct it as a 3D sculpture. Wells' anatomical skills and Oliver's experience of making sculptures from MRI scans allow the viewer to enjoy and understand Leonardo's 15th century insight into the female form from every angle and inside out.

The sculpture is on display at the Museum's top gallery until 12 November. Oliver’s 3D reconstruction of Leonardo’s drawing reveals not only how accurate much of Leonardo’s anatomy was, but also how he incorporated elements of bovine and fetal anatomy into the drawing, posing the question: was Leonardo drawing female anatomy as he understood it, or as he thought it should be?

Visit Marilène Oliver's web site for more information about the Lady.

The drawing itself can be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, Leonardo da Vinci: Experience, Expeiment and Design.

Monday 30 October, 7 pm
Museum of the History of Science
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3AZ
Admission free

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