Leonardo Da Vinci’s Machines in Kassel, Germany.

Sent to you this week by Martin, from Kassel in Germany.

Probably one of the ugliest buildings in Kassel hosted an exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s machines. Entrance was free—I had to go. I could get a glimpse of his inventive streak at close quarters. These were replicas, not the orignals. But still, the fusion of technology, art, and science was what makes Da Vinci’s work so fascinating.

The Self-Propelling Cart.
Da Vinci designed this in 1478! Propulsion was through a series of coiled springs allowing for a maximum range of 30 – 40 meters without human assistance.

Almost everyone recognises The Last Supper. Fewer notice that Leonardo was painting a chain reaction. The drama is not simply the meal itself, but the instant when one sentence changes the room: “one of you will betray me.” Each disciple responds differently, allowing Leonardo to turn a religious scene into an extraordinary study of human emotion, gesture and group behaviour.

Almost everyone knows this image. Fewer know why Leonardo drew it. The Vitruvian Man was an investigation into whether the proportions of the human body could be described through mathematics and geometry — placing one human figure simultaneously within a circle and a square.

The Aerial Screw
A reconstruction of Leonardo da Vinci’s experimental flying machine, often regarded as an early ancestor of the helicopter. Leonardo imagined the spiral structure turning rapidly around its central shaft and ‘screwing’ itself upwards through the air.

The Self-Supporting Bridge
Brilliantly simple. The wooden beams are interlocked, making nails, rope, or martar unnecessary.