The major show, housed in the impressive National basilica of Koekelberg in the city centre, has attracted over 10,000 visitors in its first week, despite some carping that there are not that many original works on display. Da Vinci (1452-1519) mastered as the archetypal renaissance man, with the exhibits divided into the themes of the man, the artist, the engineer and the humanist. The show's organisers, Collections et Patrimoines, have built up the knack, over the last 20 years, of attracting exhibition goers in their thousands, although even the biggest Tintin fan would admit that the cartoon Belgian reporter's creator Herge, the subject of an earlier extravaganza, is not quite in Leonardo's league. The show, with its opportunities to interact with exhibits such as models of some of Leonardo's many inventions is "about quality but is not just for the expert," explains the exhibition's curator Rene Schyns. read more

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