Da Vinci tied to CSN Graphics Program

The current exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci on a limited engagement at The Venetian in Las Vegas through October 15 includes a piece of artwork of the Master and Genius of the Renaissance—newly unveiled to the world just 2 weeks ago—that has ties to the Graphic Communications Program at CSN.

Horse and Rider

That piece of artwork, a sculpture titled Horse and Rider, is being promoted with an identity created by CSN graphic communications instructor Dan McElhattan III and a website fashioned by CSN program graduate Danny Figueroa.

Web site developed by CSN grad/designer Danny Figuora.

This past summer, instructor McElhattan received the invitation of all invitations: to develop the visual identity of a work of art of a Legend, the Renaissance Man himself, Leonardo da Vinci.

While da Vinci is the master of many art forms—from paintings to sketches to encrypted notebooks that now command a price of over 30 million per book—his sculptures never came to fruition, until now.

Through Brand Ltd, Dan had the privilege and honor to meet the men behind one of the Greatest Discoveries in the Art World, a rare—and only surviving sculpture—made by da Vinci's hand.

Identity artwork created by Dan McElhattan III

"Nothing compares to designing an identity for “Horse and Rider,” the only existing sculpture crafted by the hand of Leonardo da Vinci himself!" McElhattan exclaims.

That identity was used to promote the world tour of the sculpture and is to be used in promote copies of the piece by Las Vegas' fine art dealer Art encounter.

The statue was first unveiled at a private gallery showing in Las Vegas, before it World Premiere in Los Angeles.

Taking on corporate identity for corporate America is day-to-day routine for McElhattan, who works for Brand Ltd in addition to teaching full-time at the College of Southern Nevada in North Las Vegas.

He has been challenged by projects from the likes of Bill Walters of Walters Golf; Arnold Palmer, Golf Legend; Wolfgang Puck, Celebrity Chef; and video gaming corporation Electronic Arts.

He has also developed packaging and identities for Cult Classics Blade Runner and Dune games for Westwood Studios, Coca-Cola, Mikasa Volleyballs, Urban Hip Hop Rap stars and the clothing line Billionaire Mafia. His experience and creative approach to everything he does played a critical role in his hiring as a design instructor on the Graphic Communications program at CSN in 2010.

CSN Graphic Communications instructor Michael Meagher with wife Christine attended the unveiling for the first time in Las Vegas at a by-invitation-only private showing of the statue in the gallery of Art encounter.

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 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 inches high, 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. The sculpture depicted a warhorse and its distinguished rider…and was purported to be by 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.

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You can view the design elements and identity Dan created  at www.davincihorseandrider.com, a website created by Danny Figueroa, a former student of McElhattan's, who himself is an alumnus of CSN.