STRASBOURG.- Following the launch of the 28th Council of Europe Art Exhibition in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery in March, the series of “Universal Leonardo” exhibitions will continue in Oxford (9 August to 5 November) and London (14 September to 7 January 2007). The exhibition pays tribute to the Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and his works as a painter, engineer, natural philosopher and inventor.

In Oxford, an itinerary entitled "Leonardo and Oxford: Discovering the World of Leonardo in Oxford's collections" will link Christ Church Picture Gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, Magdalen College, the Museum of History of Science and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, analysing the artistic and intellectual world of Leonardo, his friends and followers. In London´s Victoria and Albert Museum, the exhibition "Leonardo da Vinci: Experience, Experiment and Design" will explore for the first time the most fundamental aspect of Leonardo’s work - how he thought on paper - and present drawings and manuscripts together with sophisticated computer animations of key drawings and several large-scale models of da Vinci´s designs.

The Universal Leonardo exhibitions programme forms the 28th Council of Europe art exhibition. For almost 50 years, the Strasbourg-based body has organised a series of Europe-wide exhibitions designed to increase knowledge and appreciation of European art as one of the highest expressions of European culture and common values.

The Council of Europe Director for Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, Robert Palmer, will be present at the private views in London on 12 September at 6.45 pm and in Oxford on 13 September at 5.30 pm.