Drawings discovered on Da Vinci masterpiece

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5365300.ece

December 18, 2008
Three near-invisible drawings discovered on back of Da Vinci masterpiece
Adam Sage in Paris

The French art world is in a frenzy of speculation today after the strange discovery of three almost invisible drawings on the back of a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre museum.

The mysterious sketches, which were found when the painting, Virgin and Child With Saint Anne, was taken down for experts to determine whether it could be restored, may be by the Renaissance artist himself, according to the museum in Paris.

Although the discovery is reminiscent of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, art experts said that the drawings would not have contained a hidden message from the painter.

They say that Da Vinci sketched out his ideas on whatever came to hand, and might have used the planks of poplar wood that formed the backing for the work, which dates from the 1500s.

If he were confirmed as the author, the drawings could help to give an exact date to the work, which is often considered as his artistic testament.

They were detected in September after Sylvain Laveissière, a curator at the Louvre, noticed that some of the grey marks behind Virgin and Child With Saint Anne resembled a horse's head.

A photograph with an infrared camera in the Louvre's laboratory confirmed his suspicion and found two other sketches invisible to the naked human eye next to the horse's head.

These were of a human skull and of the infant Jesus with a Lamb — a drawing reminiscent of the celebrated painting on the other side of the popular boards.

"They were not meant to be kept," said Bruno Mottin, a specialist at the Louvre's art laboratory. "They had been largely wiped out, which explains why no one had notived them until now."

The Louvre said in a statement: "This is an exceptional discovery as sketches on backs of works are very rare and there is no known example of one from Leonardo to this day."

Abu Dhabi begins work on Ferrari theme park

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071103/lf_afp/uaeitalyautoferrarileisure_071103181816

Abu Dhabi begins work on Ferrari theme park
Sat Nov 3, 2007

Abu Dhabi on Saturday began work on building the world's first Ferrari theme park, another step in the wealthy Gulf emirate's ambition to become a global centre for leisure, sport and culture.

A ceremony was held for the laying of the project's first foundation stone on Yas Island off the coast of the capital of the United Arab Emirates, project developer ALDAR said.

The 250,000-square-metre (62-acre) park is set for completion in 2009.

It will include a motor circuit which is to host the emirate's first F1 Grand Prix in the same year, as well as roller coasters, multi-media theatres and automobile displays, ALDAR said in a statement.

An investment group owned by the government of oil-rich Abu Dhabi in July bought a five percent stake in Ferrari for 114 million dollars.

Warner Brothers announced in September it plans to open its own theme park in Abu Dhabi, which is already developing a satellite Louvre museum and staged its first international film festival earlier this year.

Abu Dhabi is one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, which also includes Dubai.

The booming city-state of Dubai has its own grand cultural aspirations. It already hosts an annual international film festival that is attended by high-profile Hollywood stars.

Earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil announced it would stage a permanent show on a huge artificial island off Dubai, and Universal Studios plans to build a theme park in the emirate at a cost of more than two billion dollars.