Artists are often confined to the periphery of society; or made outsiders altogether. Few are said to have god given qualities by their contemporaries. Not Leonardo da Vinci though. In his lifetime his talents were worshipped. None less so than by Ludovico Sforza, the ruler of Milan, who employed da Vinci as the court painter for 17 years – a period regarded as possibly the making of him.

The exhibition focuses on this definitive period, gathering together more of his paintings than has ever been displayed. But despite being styled as a “blockbuster”, it remains modest. Not least because da Vinci was not remotely prolific, he left fewer than 20 paintings, many of which remain uncompleted. This lack in quantity is eclipsed by the magnificence of his work and it quickly becomes obvious why today, 500 years since his death, we still flock to it.

His work possesses a quality that is difficult to summarise: faces that are famously hard to read, emotions that are indecipherable and mystical symbolism which still leaves academics speculating. One such mystery lies in the arms of a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, Sforza’s mistress. Resting calmly is a white ermine, muscular and majestic its meaning remains contested. Out of the handful of his paintings on display ‘The Musician’ particularly captivated me. With such a serene and delicate face, the portrait is both beautiful yet haunting.

Drawings accompany the finished paintings, allowing us to enter the meticulous process behind each piece. While painting ‘The Last Supper’, a feat which lasted three years, da Vinci frequently observed Milanese citizens to perfect the facial expressions of the disciples. The work of several of his pupils, most notably Giovanni Boltraffio, is also displayed. There to represent the talents to emerge from da Vinci’s studio, but also to ‘bulk out’ da Vinci’s paintings which are few and far between.

This truly is a once in a lifetime exhibition with the likelihood of these paintings ever being exhibited together again being doubtful. Although the idea of visiting each piece in situ is tempting, I strongly recommend the more economical option in the form of the National Gallery. Advance tickets have now sold out, though a limited number are made available each morning.

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