It is one of the world’s most iconic images: a nude man, arms and legs outstretched, inside a square within a circle. Vitruvian Man – completed by Leonardo da Vinci around 1490 – perfectly reflects the great inventor and artist’s keen interest in proportion and attempts to relate man to nature. It has become visual shorthand for creative genius and scientific inquiry.

Acclaimed historian Toby Lester fleshed out the story behind the drawing, shedding new light on da Vinci’s artistry and scholarship, in his acclaimed book Da Vinci’s Ghost. He spotlights the image and its creator in a discussion coinciding with the final weeks of Da Vinci: The Exhibition at Kansas City’s Union Station. Attendees of the Library event will receive discounted admission to the hands-on exhibit, which is on display through May 1.