Live Vitruvian Man Spotted in Downtown St Louis!

This past weekend, the St Louis Drawing and Painting Group, www.meetup.com, met downtown. A figure drawing session there was loosely based on Leonardo da Vinci's, "Vitruvian Man". This famous drawing is of a nude inside a squared circle. it has four arms and four legs. While our model was discreetly covered, we hoped to draw inspiration from the venue.

The venue was "The Da Vinci Machines", www.davinciexhibitsstl.com, in the bank lobby at 800 Market Street, 63101. The exhibit contains more than 60 models, some scaled and some "life-sized", and many interactive of da Vinci's inventions. The exhibition is divided into themes: 1) War Machines, 2) Flying Machines, 3) Nautical and Hydraulic Machines, and 4) Principles of Mechanics.

The walls are covered with 15 reproductions of Da Vinci's most famous paintings, including the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper". Tours are given every hour, there is a 45 minute video, and there was a tasting of Uruguay, South American wines. There are copies of Leonardo Da Vinci's Codices, his notebooks of "reverse" handwriting which documented his thoughts, observations, and inventions. Of course there is also a gift shop.The St Louis Drawing and Painting Group set up by the ticket counter.

Our model, Mark, struck 4 poses over a period of two hours. Some of us drew in charcoal, some in pencil. The public was very respectful as they passed by and gazed over our shoulders at our drawings. Part learning and part drawing practice, with elements of the social, this group had fun re-creating The Vitruvian Man. They will next be at on Tuesday, February 28, so join them there!