Richard A. Lewis, Owner

Transcription

1 MEDIA KIT

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3 The Horse and Rider story began in 1985, when four businessmen traveled to Switzerland to inquire about the purchase of a museum. During their visit, they were introduced to a centuries old sculpture languishing in a vault. Hand-carved from beeswax, the piece measured 10 high, 8 long and 3 wide. The sculpture depicted a warhorse and its distinguished rider and was purported to be by Renaissance Master Leonardo da Vinci. Intrigued, the men contacted Professor Carlo Pedretti, the world s authority on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. In addition to his status as Professor Emeritus of Art History and Italian Studies on Leonardo at UCLA, Professor Pedretti has written over 50 books and more than 700 scholarly articles and essays on the Master. On July 10th, 1985, following a thorough examination of the wax, Professor Pedretti stated, in a letter on UCLA stationery: this wax model is by Leonardo himself. Dubbing the work Horse and Rider, Professor Pedretti stated that the sculpture was possibly an equestrian portrait of Charles d Amboise. D Amboise, the French Governor of Milan, befriended Leonardo upon his arrival in Milan in 1508, and quickly became one of his greatest patrons. The resemblance between the sculpted rider and Andrea Solario s portrait of Charles d Amboise, housed in the Louvre and of the same period, is remarkable. Based on their discussions with Professor Pedretti, the businessmen decided to make a mold from the delicate wax sculpture. (Over the centuries, the work had sustained damage to the arms of the rider and the legs of both rider and horse.) They then left Switzerland for New York City intending to make bronze sculptures from the mold and to market a limited edition. For financial or other reasons, this never took place. Today, the whereabouts of the original Leonardo da Vinci wax sculpture are unknown. At this part of the story, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Richard A. Lewis. I was a personal friend with one of the businessmen. He shared with me the existence of the mold made from the wax sculpture. I was fascinated. So fascinated, that, in 1987, I purchased the mold and all pertinent documents. Because I was involved in other business activities, the mold and the story sat dormant for twenty-five years. Now, I am ready to present Horse and Rider to the world. Richard A. Lewis, Owner { the provenance}

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5 { authentication } In 1985, Professor Carlo Pedretti of ULCA, the world s leading Leonardo da Vinci expert, carefully examined the beeswax model from which Richard A. Lewis mold was taken. Subsequently, Professor Pedretti stated in writing In my opinion, this wax model is by Leonardo himself. After years of keeping the irreplaceable mold safe and carefully pondering its future, Mr. Lewis decided in 2012 to authorize an extremely well crafted, limited edition run of bronze castings. Each casting will be derived from Mr. Lewis s mold, which was taken directly from the wax model and as Prof. Pedretti stated, in writing, In my opinion, this wax model is by Leonardo himself. As owner of the original mold of the only surviving sculpture in the world verified to have been carved by Leonardo da Vinci himself, I can attest that this limited edition of top-quality castings, derived from the hands of Leonardo, is the only edition I will allow to be made. It is my desire now to share them with the world. - Mr. Richard A. Lewis, owner of the original Leonardo da Vinci mold Professor Carlo Pedretti Born in Italy in 1928, Professor Carlo Pedretti is an esteemed professor emeritus of art history and the chair of Leonardo Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Professor Pedretti has authored more than 50 books and at least 700 scholarly articles and essays on Leonardo da Vinci; the artist, inventor and thinker who is considered by many to be the ultimate Renaissance man. Professor Pedretti is today regarded as the world s leading authority on Leonardo da Vinci. He is especially known as an expert on artwork by Leonardo and is often asked to authenticate disputed pieces those alleged to have been created by Leonardo - whenever they appear. On April 24, 2008, he was awarded honorary citizenship of the town of Vinci, Italy, where Leonardo da Vinci was born and raised. Most recently, Professor Pedretti joined an international effort based in Italy to re-discover Leonardo s famed fresco, The Battle of Anghiari, which the master spent two years painting in the early 1500s. Often called The Lost Leonardo, this fresco, located somewhere in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, was long thought to have been painted over or even destroyed. In 2012 the international team announced they found preliminary evidence the fresco still exists, on a now-hidden inner wall of the palazzo. With Professor Pedretti s expert guidance, recovery efforts are ongoing.

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7 { About Horse & Rider } The entire limited-edition run of castings of Leonardo da Vinci s Horse and Rider are being derived from an original mold owned by Richard A. Lewis. For casting purposes Mr. Lewis is utilizing Fine Arts Foundry in Burbank, California. The mold was created in 1985 from a 500 year old beeswax sculpture which had been languishing in a Swiss bank vault. The sculpture, depicting a Renaissance figure in full military regalia riding a horse, was inspected by the greatest Leonardo da Vinci expert in the world, Professor Carlo Pedretti. Best known as the Armand Hammer Director of Leonardo Studies at UCLA, Professor Pedretti has authored over 50 books and more than 700 scholarly articles on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. Upon extensive examination of the sculpture, Professor Pedretti stated in writing, In my opinion, this wax model is by Leonardo himself. According to Professor Pedretti, who dubbed the work Horse and Rider, the original beeswax carving was possibly an equestrian portrait of Charles d Amboise, the French governor of Milan in the early 1500s. Charles d Amboise was an admirer of Leonardo. He quickly became his friend and patron when the Renaissance genius arrived in the city in A remarkable resemblance exists between the face of the rider and Andrea Solario s portrait of Charles d Amboise (housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris) painted during the same period. The beeswax study was likely a model for a larger, never-completed statue of the governor. Leonardo: Discovering the Life of Leonardo da Vinci by French author Serge Bramly, documents the master s attempts to create similar equestrian themed tributes, including his unfinished attempts to create a 26-foot tall horse statue, in bronze, for the duke of Milan. Ultimately, he was undone by his own genius unable to recreate bronze monuments of his meticulously detailed sketches and models due to technological limitations and his own perfectionism. Photos and sketches of the beeswax model appear in the definitive catalogue of Leonardo s artwork known as the Queen s Collection, housed at Windsor Castle in England. The beeswax model has also been documented in various scholarly works, such as Leonardo da Vinci: Scientist, Inventor, Artist by Otto Letze and Thomas Buchsteiner, and Leonardo e lo Sport by Aleeandro Vezzosi. These sources, along with Professor Pedretti, indicate that Horse and Rider was likely part of the Melzi estate at Vaprio d Adda, Italy. Francesco Melzi, an assistant and favorite pupil of Leonardo s who eventually became a famous painter in his own right, inherited Leonardo s papers and effects after Leonardo died. The beeswax original was last thought to be housed in a private collection in London. Between January 16, 2012 and May 16, 2012, Mr. Lewis and a team of experts including Prof. Pedretti, Randy Buck (artist and craftsman), and Mike Koligman (technical engineer) prepare to cast the original Horse and Rider sculture. It is ultimately cast, using the lost wax process, at the Barrios Castings foundry in Los Angeles California. Upon seeing the final result, on May 16, 2012, Prof. Pedretti s three word response was, Perfect, Perfect, Perfect.

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9 { detail of Horse and Rider and actual Leonardo Sketches of a Horse }

10 LEONARDO DA VINCI It s easy for anyone to run out of superlatives when attempting to adequately describe the life and achievements of Leonardo da Vinci. Born in 1452, almost 500 years after his death, the Italian-born thinker is still regarded by many scholars as the ultimate Renaissance man. Leonardo da Vinci, in the opinion of many scholars, is the one individual who most completely epitomized the intellectual curiosity, technological innovation, thirst for perfection, and humanist ideals of the late Renaissance movement. Succinctly speaking, Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as one of the greatest painters, and greatest geniuses, the world has ever known. Over the course of his lifetime he was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. Leonardo was a master at whatever he chose to apply himself. His artwork, historians have observed, bears an uncanny ability to blend the artistic with the scientific. Even in his unfinished projects and drawings, nothing seems incongruous or out of place. Technical perfection, sometimes centuries ahead of its time, seamlessly melded with aesthetic beauty was an achievement that just came naturally to Leonardo. Leonardo da Vinci s father was a local notary in the small town of Vinci, near Florence. Piero da Vinci married four times, yet young Leonardo s childhood was otherwise unremarkable until, as a teenager, his father apprenticed the boy to the noted Florentine painter and sculptor Verrocchio. Other prominent artists of the day associated at Verocchio s studio, and young Leonardo da Vinci soon proved to be a quick study, learning the latest methods and theories on painting and sculpting with ease. Verrocchio and his star pupil, Leonardo, worked closely during those years in Florence, which was generally accepted as the cradle of the Renaissance. In fact, such was Leonardo da Vinci s talent that he soon found himself improving on the very best techniques of his time, growing beyond his peers and even his teacher. A famous story relates that, while still an apprentice, Leonardo da Vinci showed Verrocchio a painting he had just finished (it was Leonardo s job to fill in backgrounds and other details of paintings by Verrocchio). The great Verrocchio, a master in his own right, was so stunned by his student s talent that he put down his brush and vowed never to paint again. So far as historians can tell, Verrocchio never did. By the time he was twenty, Leonardo da Vinci was already accredited as a master in the prestigious Florentine guild of artists and doctors of medicine, and he never looked back. Spending most of his life working in Milan, Florence, and Venice, Leonardo cultivated a small but loyal following of devoted students and awed patrons, such as the famous Medici family that ruled much of northern Italy at the time.

11 Leonardo da Vinci s talent and vision were so great that his clients never seemed to mind waiting years for a finished product. Leonardo was also an undisputed perfectionist who also insisted on testing experimental methods while he worked, greatly increasing the timetables for completing many projects. When Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 in southern France, he was living as a permanent guest of King Francois I of France, who was among his many admirers. The unparalleled genius died peacefully at age 67. During his most productive years, he conceptualized such far-reaching inventions as a working helicopter, the airplane, the modern tank, countless engineering improvements, hydraulic power, a workable theory for the internal combustion engine and the basics of continental drift. During this same time, he was also one of the world s greatest painters and artists, even lending his advice and influencing fellow Renaissance stars such as Michelangelo and Raphael. His technical drawings of human anatomy were so accurate they were still being copied in medical textbooks into the twentieth century. In his later years, when much of northern Italy came under French occupation, Leonardo was regarded as a kind of living national treasure. Charles d Amboise, the French governor of Milan in those years, immediately befriended Leonardo upon his arrival to Milan in 1506 and became his patron. Circa 1508, Leonardo da Vinci completed the recently rediscovered Horse and Rider, a small study done in beeswax. Most likely, the model was for a nevercompleted life-sized bronze statue of Charles d Amboise on horseback. The re-emergence of a mold derived from this exceptionally rare Leonardo da Vinci work has excited the artistic community.

12 {A Collection Honoring The Singular Talents of Leonardo} This limited run of bronze castings are derived from the only known surviving sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci. Each casting is made to order, and directly derived from a single mold from the original three-dimensional sculpture carved by Leonardo himself more than 500 years ago. Professor Carlo Pedretti, the world s leading Leonardo da Vinci expert, dubbed the one-of-a-kind sculpture Horse and Rider. Each sculpture measures approximately twelve inches long, twelve inches high and seven inches wide with base. The total weight is approximately eighteen pounds. Leonardo Classic: [limited to 299 total castings] Most closely resembles the beeswax original at the time it was sculpted by Leonardo da Vinci. Classic Bronze: [limited to 299 total castings] Resembles what Leonardo s finished vision of Horse and Rider would look like had he cast it in bronze.

13 Verde: [limited to 299 total castings] A realistic vision of what Leonardo s finished bronze would look like after 500 years. Silver: [limited to 99 total castings] A unique offering for discerning collectors; this is the only casting finished in precious metal. Everything quintessential to Leonardo and his genius is evident in Horse and Rider, from his fascination with equestrianism to his harmonious utilization of Divine Proportion. Horse and Rider is truly a masterpiece. Brett K. Maly, Fine Art Appraiser

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16 {A Timeline of Leonardo da Vinci s Horse and Rider } 1452: Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci is born in the Vinci region. History will remember him as one of the greatest painters of all-time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. 1469: Along with Penugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandalo and Lorenzo di Credi, Leonardo joins the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio (c, ). Known as a great sculptor, Verracchio s last work, the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice, is universally accepted as a masterpiece. 1472: At just 20 years old, Leonardo is accepted as a master in the Guild of St. Luke, the prestigious Florentine guild of artists and doctors. He soon has his own workshop, but continues to collaborate on projects with his old master, Verrocchio : Leonardo enjoys decades of remarkable professional achievement and successful patronage by some of the most powerful families in northern Italy, including the ruling Medicis and Sforzas. A perfectionist with nearly limitless talent, he conceptualizes inventions centuries ahead of their time, such as the helicopter, airplane, tank and the basics of internal combustion. Among his most famous paintings from this time are The Adoration of the Magi and The Last Supper. Leonardo also fills more than 13,000 notebook pages with conceptual sketches on everything from anatomy to shoes for walking on water. 1499: The Second Italian War begins as French troops invade what is now northern Italy and rapidly gain ground. Leonardo s Milanese patron is overthrown. Leonardo flees Milan.

17 : Now in Venice, Leonardo s highly advanced defense designs helps protect the city from naval invasion. His military engineering services become in demand across northern Italy. During this time, he also completes Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world : Now 55 years old, Leonardo accepts an invitation to return to Milan. He reconnects with old pupils and colleagues, leaving only briefly to settle his father s estate. 1508: From a block of beeswax, Leonardo da Vinci creates a model of a horse and rider in full military regalia. The work is thought to be the model for a much larger monument to Leonardo s friend and patron Charles d Amboise, French governor of Milan. May 2, 1519: Leonardo dies in Amboise, France. It is believed that King Francois I was at Leonardo s bedside at death. Original wax model of Horse and Rider is inherited by Leonardo s close friend, Francisco Melzi circa 1930s: Horse and Rider remains in the possession of Count Francesco Melzi and his descendants in Italy. So far as can be ascertained, no attempts to copy or in any way complete Leonardo s beeswax model in bronze are ever made. Pre-World War II: Horse and Rider remains in the hands of private collectors in England. At some point it is moved (thought to be prior to World War II) from Italy to Geneva, Switzerland for safekeeping. After the death of Leonardo da Vinci, his student Francesco Melzi inherited all of his drawings and manuscripts and took them back to his home in Milan. When Melzi passed, Leonardo s collection was sold to the sculptor Pompeo Leoni (c ). Leoni pasted Leonardo s drawings in several albums, which was eventually brought to England by Thomas Howard, the 2nd Earl of Arundel. Due to the Civil War, Howard left England and there was no trace of Leonardo s album until one was miraculously recorded into the Royal Collection at the Whitehall Palace in Leonardo s album now resides in solander boxes in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle with a selection of drawings on public display.

18 1969: Black and white photos of the original Horse and Rider beeswax sculpture are taken, some of which will appear in the Queen s Collection Catalogue Raisonné of Leonardo drawings when Horse and Rider is added to it in The photos reveal damage to the rider and horse, as well as general deterioration. Almost 500 years since its creation, time has taken a toll on the original beeswax art. The sculpture is missing the hands and feet of the rider as well as one leg and the ears of the horse. 1985: A group of businessmen, one of whom is friends with Richard A. Lewis, travels to Switzerland and is shown the beeswax Horse and Rider with the intent of selling it. An original mold of Horse and Rider is made; the model returns to a private collection. Professor Pedretti, world s foremost Leonardo expert, drafts a letter to Mr. Paul Wagner, one of the members of a buying partnership desiring to purchase the wax model. Professor Carlo Pedretti, in his capacity of Armand Hammer Professor of Leonardo Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, states in writing: In my opinion, this wax model is by Leonardo himself : The original mold is moved to New York City. During this time it was generally determined that because of a cut in the soft mold it could not be used for reproductions. The mold remained in New York until Richard A. Lewis, of Indianapolis, Indiana entered the picture. 1987: Horse and Rider is officially catalogued in the Queens Collection at Windsor Castle, complete with photos and partial sketches. The Catalogue Raisonné entry reads, in part, Horse and Rider Queens Collection at Windsor Castle Fragmentary wax statuette in a private collection in London, formerly in the Sangiorgi Collection in Rome, said to have come from the Melzi estate at Vaprio d Adda, Italy. 1988: Mr. Lewis invested to help finance a plan to make reproductions from the original mold taken from the beeswax. When no reproductions were produced, Mr. Lewis traveled to New York to review the original mold. Mr. Lewis enters into an agreement to purchase the mold and all supporting documents. 2010: Mr. Lewis retirement from real estate prompts his interest in the Horse and Rider original mold. During 2010 and 2011 Mr. Lewis meets with numerous experts with his overriding objective to examine the best options for sharing Horse and Rider with the world : Mr. Lewis presents the mold to American Fine Arts Foundry, Burbank, California. Their experts determine that the mold can successfully produce a wax master from which reproductions can be made.

19 {A Timeline of Leonardo da Vinci s Horse and Rider } Mr. Lewis partners with Art encounter, Las Vegas, NV, designating Art encounter the Worldwide Distributor for the Horse and Rider. January 16, 2012: Los Angeles, CA. A meeting between Mr. Lewis, representatives from Art encounter, and the Renaissance Gallery, Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV, and Professor Carlo Pedretti takes place. Professor Carlo Pedretti confirms the authenticity of Horse and Rider and reveals for the first time, additional documentations of authenticity heretofore unknown to Mr. Lewis. January 19, 2012: Las Vegas, Nevada. Bronze castings of Horse and Rider are unveiled in a ceremony at the historic Las Vegas Country Club during a VIP invitation only event. After the unveiling the works are moved to the Shoppes at the Palazzo where they are displayed at the Renaissance Gallery. May, 2012: Perfect, perfect, perfect! Professor Carlo Pedretti, the world s leading Leonardo da Vinci expert, upon examining the original sculpture cast directly from the mold. This original is used to make the Horse and Rider limited edition collection. August 21, 2012: Horse and Rider premieres exclusively to invited guests at Da Vinci The Genius at The Venetian in Las Vegas. This exhibition runs through October 15, August 27, 2012: Horse and Rider is unveiled to the world at a private event at the historic Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills California. Invited guests and select media outlets get a firsthand view of Horse and Rider, at an elegant courtyard reception. Summer/Fall, 2012: Horse and Rider castings and the original mold derived from the only surviving Leonardo sculpture begin their world tour. November, 2012: White Bridle Society Benefit. Da Vinci, Wine and Roses. Featuring the newly discovered Leonardo da Vinci Horse and Rider sculpture. White Bridle Society utilizes miniature horses in a therapeutic program for autistic children. White Bridle Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

20 The World Tour of Leonardo s Horse and Rider A limited, high-quality edition of bronze castings derived from a mold taken directly from the only known surviving sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci has begun its world tour. Las Vegas August 21, 2012: Horse and Rider premieres exclusively to invited guests at Da Vinci The Genius at The Venetian in Las Vegas. This exhibition runs through October 15, Los Angeles August 27, 2012: An elegant courtyard cocktail reception is held at the historic Greystone Mansion of Beverly Hills, a National Historic Landmark. The Greystone will host the Leonardo castings on the first leg of their world tour. Dallas November 15, 2012: White Bridle Society Benefit. Da Vinci, Wine and Roses. Featuring the newly discovered Leonardo da Vinci Horse and Rider sculpture.

21 New York Spring 2013 The world tour of Leonardo s Horse and Rider castings continues at a prestigious venue (TBD) in one of the world s great art cities. Las Vegas Dates TBD The journey of Horse and Rider concludes where it was unveiled, at a gala (venue TBD) in Las Vegas, with the eyes of the art world clearly watching. Media Contact For interest in Horse and Rider & Media inquiries please contact Virginia Martino at BRAND in Las Vegas, , or visit

22 Richard A. Lewis Owner of the Original Leonardo Mold A native of the Midwest, Mr. Lewis graduated from Indiana s prestigious Purdue University with a degree in engineering before going on to serve with distinction as a U.S. Army officer during the Vietnam War. After completing his military service, Mr. Lewis began a long and accomplished career in civil engineering. He later moved into surveying and eventually became active in real estate development. Following many years of success in the high-end housing business, Mr. Lewis began considering new endeavors as he approached retirement. As a casual enthusiast of the arts with a strong background in engineering, Mr. Lewis had long known about the many mechanical inventions and nearly prophetic scientific advancements of Leonardo da Vinci. However, it wasn t until the 1980s that an opportunity to own something derived from the hand of Leonardo presented itself. When it did, as Mr. Lewis recalled, he fell in love with it [the Horse and Rider sculpture] from an artistic standpoint, and ended up purchasing the mold. Currently, Mr. Lewis is combining his appreciation for the genius of Leonardo with his own career-long eye for detail in his latest pursuit - helping to reintroduce the Horse and Rider limited edition sculptures to the world.mr. Lewis is married, with three children and six grandchildren. He resides in Indiana.

23 Rod Maly Director, Art encounter After concluding a successful career in technology, Mr. Maly turned a 40-year passion for fine and decorative art into a thriving business by establishing Art encounter in Las Vegas in the early 1990s. Under Mr. Maly s guidance, Art encounter became the largest retail art gallery in Nevada, was voted Best Art Gallery in Las Vegas, and handled some of the biggest names in the art world. At one point, Art encounter maintained three separate galleries in two states with more than 30,000 combined square feet of space. Under Mr. Maly, this fine art, custom framing, appraisal, and dealership business developed a reputation for accurate, high-integrity art appraisals; museum-quality framing; and a knack for offering unique pieces by established masters as well as new and emerging artists. Mr. Maly is known for curating and auctioneering fine art related fund raising events for nierous local and national charities. In 2010, the existence of a mold made from an original beeswax model sculpted by Leonardo da Vinci was brought to Mr. Maly s attention. His experience was instrumental in the mold s owner selecting Art encounter as the exclusive worldwide distributor for the entire limited run of castings being made from this mold. Brett K. Maly President & USPAP Certified Appraiser, Art encounter Mr. Maly has served as a Director for Art encounter since 1996, and its President since since In 2004, he was Certified as an Appraiser through UC Irvine s Certification Program in Fine and Decorative Arts. Mr. Maly is a member of the American Society of Appraisers and has completed his certification in USPAP (certification 2004/recertification 2009). show In addition to appraising artworks by some of the most famous artists of the last 150 years for both private collectors and prestigious institutions, Mr. Maly has appeared as an expert on radio and television. He has a recurring role on the History Channel Pawn Stars, where he has discussed everything from fine art valuation, to its collection and preservation.

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25 A portion of all proceeds from the sale of the limited edition bronze castings of Leonardo da Vinci s Horse and Rider sculpture will benefit The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada. The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada received a phone call from Rod Maly in December at which time he shared how much he liked Charlie and enjoyed working with him. Because of that relationship, when Mr. Lewis mentioned sharing some of the proceeds of Horse and Rider with non profits, Rod thought of The Salvation Army and his friend, Charlie Desiderio. Charlie never stopped working for the benefit of others by promoting the Salvation Army s great work. He always remembered his wife Marie and was a wonderful friend of the arts. The world needs more people like Charlie -Rod Maly, Director, Art encounter { Horse and Rider The Charity} The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada is dedicated to general help and outreach to individuals in need. Its mission statement reads, in part, The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church its mission is to meet human needs without discrimination. In Southern Nevada, The Salvation Army is particularly proud of its Adult Rehabilitation Program, a 126-day residential treatment and work therapy program for adults with addictions to alcohol, drugs, and/or gambling. Most funds the charity receives from its share of sales of the Leonardo da Vinci sculptures will directly support this Adult Rehabilitation Program, with a small percentage being used to promote the general work of The Salvation Army in Southern Nevada.

26 Art encounter Las Vegas, Nevada - Sales & Appraisal For more than 20 years, Art encounter has stood out as one of the best fine art appraisers, brokers, and framers in Las Vegas. Boasting on-site experts in art valuation and authentication, Art encounter has examined, appraised and helped buy and sell works by some of the most prominent artists of the last 150 years. After the stunning re-discovery of a mold derived directly from a beeswax sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci (believed to be the only surviving sculpture in the world fully attributable to Leonardo), the mold s owner turned to Art encounter. Because of their background and expertise, the owner of the mold selected Art encounter as the exclusive worldwide sales and distribution source for the extremely limited castings (less than 1,000 total) of Horse and Rider now being produced. Thus, Art encounter can add Leonardo s name to the very top of a list of some of the world s most prominent artists whose master works they have handled. This list includes Picasso, Renoir, Frederick Remington, Cezanne, and Toulouse-Lautrec As important as these names are to the art world, it s worth noting that Leonardo truly stands above others. Often remembered as the world s greatest painter, Leonardo was also the singular intellect whose ideas helped close the door on medieval art and architecture and usher modern thinking into the Western world.

27 Sales and Collector Information: Art encounter, Las Vegas, NV, USA Rod Maly World Tour Information & Media Queries: BRAND, Las Vegas, NV, USA Virginia Martino

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