Leonardo Live

Overview

I'll always remember standing in front of The Madonna of the Rocks for the first time and feeling quite taken aback by the beauty, intimacy and symmetry of the composition. That's the main reason why I was so excited, and luckily with good reason, about going to see Leonardo Live.

Based on the exhibition Leonardo: Painter at the Court of Milan which was put on by the National Gallery in London from 9 November 2011 to 5 February 2012, this documentary is hosted by British TV presenter Mariella Frostrop and art historian Tim Marlow. Special guests include the curator of the show and the director of the gallery but far more interesting for me are the various people involved in the restoration of paintings and framing. The attention to detail that goes into some of the behind the scenes work is fascinating to learn about and gives you a real appreciation of the effort involved in taking care of paintings which are centuries old.

Other guests come from a wide range of backgrounds. An actor, dancer, director, bishop, artists and professors of art among others offer their impressions of and relationship with a particular Leonardo da Vinci work. Their insights add depth and colour to the documentary and the length of the interviews are just pacy enough to stop the film from dragging. The fact that, as the title would suggest, it was shot over the course of a day means there's a roughness to the editing at times. I liked that though – it gives the viewer a more immediate experience of the exhibition and avoids becoming too staged or 'stuffy'.

A downside is the odd moment when Frostrop or Marlow get a bit too verbose or offer a weak attempt at a joke. For instance, when Musician Nitin Sawnhey expresses his admiration for Leonardo's smokily blurred brushwork he queries whether the artist had employed the technique known as sfumato. To which Frostrop quips, "Sounds like tomato."

Aside from this minor point, Leonardo Live is exactly what it claims to be – a close up, accessible and engaging glimpse into the works of an extremely influential artist. As the images went up on screen for a final time, I couldn't help wishing I could stand before the collection myself – luckily for me though, I'd just experienced the next best thing.