May 26-Aug. 9
The whereabouts of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Battle of Anghiari" remains a mystery. Often called the "Lost Leonardo," it was believed to have been commissioned in 1504, at the same time as Michelangelo Buonarroti was asked to create an accompanying battle scene for the Hall of Five Hundred in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
Though originally designed to be both the artists' most ambitious and elaborate Renaissance frescoes, neither of the works were actually completed, and when the hall was later renovated by Giorgio Vasari, both the works went missing. Though evidence was found in 2012 to suggest that Leonardo's painting may be hidden behind Vasari's work, its retrieval has yet to be pursued.
The oldest representation of Leonardo's "Battle of Anghiari" is the 16th-century "Tavola Doria," which is being shown in Japan for the first time and is believed to represent the central section of Leonardo's original. Sketches, reproductions, derivative works, as well as various documents related to "The Battle of Anghiari" are also being exhibited.
Tokyo Fuji Art Museum; 492-1 Yanomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo. Hachioji Stn. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ¥1,300. Closed Mon. 042-691-4511; www.fujibi.or.jp
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