Lecture marks da Vinci’s 500th death anniversary

A lecture by Italian art historian and critic Carmelo Occhipinti marked the 500th death anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci in Doha on May 2, held at the Qatar National Library. Titled Leonardo da Vinci as Seen by His Contemporaries: Remarks About the Mona Lisa and Other Portraits, the event was organised by Societa Dante Alighieri and the library in collaboration with the embassy of Italy in Doha.“This first remarkable event, organised in collaboration with the embassy in the framework of the programme of initiatives promoted by the Italian government to celebrate the 500th anniversary from the death of Leonardo da Vinci, shows the commitment of Italy to promote Italian culture and the excellences of our country,” Italian ambassador Pasquale Salzano said.“I am particularly satisfied that Societa Dante Alighieri is already active in Doha after only few weeks from the creation of a local committee to promote the Italian language and culture, announced during the visit to Qatar of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on April 3,” the envoy added.Established in Italy in 1889, Societa Dante Alighieri’s mission was to promote Italian language and culture worldwide.It now has a network of 480 committees in 80 countries, including the one in Qatar.Salzano said this lecture by Occhipinti, who is also associate professor of Museology, Art Criticism and Restoration at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, forms part of the official programme of the National Committee to commemorate da Vinci’s death.The event, promoted by the Italian ministry of cultural heritage and activities, was also included in the “Vivere all’italiana” programme by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs and international co-operation.Salzano said that the event aims to highlight the early history of some of da Vinci’s renowned paintings by “sharing comments and reactions of those who stood in front when the artist was still active in Milan under Ludovico il Moro, later in the Republic of Florence, and at the court in Paris, where he died in 1519”.The envoy noted that this conference is the first initiative promoted by the Dante Alighieri committee in Doha and marks its collaboration with library.The two institutions earlier signed an agreement to hold joint initiatives in the fields of scientific, technical and cultural co-operation.“Qatar and Italy share a common vision on the importance and the contribution of culture. Culture in all its forms of expressions means creativity, innovation, development of communication codes, but also traditions and values that need to be maintained and preserved,” Salzano said.About da Vinci, he said that the artist, widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time, “is an all-around and multi-faceted genius, whose fascination for centuries has captivated whole generations until today”.“Many historians and scholars regard da Vinci as the prime exemplar of the ‘Universal Genius’ or, as we said, the ‘Renaissance Man’, an individual of ‘unquenchable curiosity’ and ‘feverishly inventive imagination’, and he is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived,” Salzano said.