Renaissance : De Vinci, Raphaël, Michel-Ange

From March 13 to June 28, 2026, "Renaissance: Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo" transforms the Atelier des Lumières into an immersive showcase dedicated to the three geniuses of the Quattrocento. This unprecedented fifty-two-minute creation conveys Leonardo's scientific curiosity, Raphael's harmonious compositions, and Michelangelo's sculptural power.

For the first time, the former foundry deploys atmospheric effects – fog, lasers, smoke – that deeply renew the sensory experience. The journey follows the voice of Giorgio Vasari, the first art historian, performed by actor Féodor Atkine, for a trip from Florence to Rome at the heart of Renaissance creation.

From Florentine workshops to the vaults of the Vatican: visitors first enter the Florentine ateliers where the first revolutionary sketches of the Renaissance were made. Monumental projections convey Tuscan light, study notebooks, and life-size models that the masters designed before each commission.

Michelangelo (1475–1564), David, 1501–1504 – Digital projection based on the original marble sculpture (Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence). The foundry space transforms into a bottega, collective workshops where apprentices and established artists worked side by side.

The journey then follows the road to Rome to reach the Vatican vaults, where frescoes and architecture take on spectacular dimensions. Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel ceiling come to life on 3,300 m² of projection surfaces.

Giorgio Vasari, the first art historian, serves as the narrative thread for this journey from Florence to Rome. Each geographic transition accompanies a change in musical palette composed by the studio Troublemakers, blending contemporary sounds with ancient motifs.

"Renaissance: Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo" at the Atelier des Lumières makes tangible the intellectual and artistic path between the two Quattrocento capitals.

Scientific observation, formal harmony, physical power: The experience dedicates separate moments to each master before weaving their contributions into a common narrative. Leonardo da Vinci leads off with his anatomical studies, flying machines, and light research, showcased through 3D models derived from high-definition scans.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), flying machines, digital projections. 3,300 m² of projection surfaces in the former foundry: visitors discover how methodical study of living beings nourished masterpieces projected on a scale revealing details invisible to the naked eye in traditional museums.

Raphael follows with his rigorously balanced compositions, Madonnas, and grand Vatican frescoes, whose colors regain the brilliance they had at creation thanks to digital processing. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), The Virgin, Child Jesus, and Saint Anne, circa 1503–1519 – Digital projection based on the original panel (Louvre Museum, Paris).

The original, kept at the Louvre, depicts the Virgin seated on Saint Anne's lap, reaching toward the Child Jesus who embraces a lamb. Leonardo worked on this pyramidal composition for over fifteen years, layering fine glazes to achieve the sfumato softening of facial contours.

At the Atelier des Lumières, the projection onto the foundry's cylindrical tanks unfolds the rocky background landscape – bluish mist, atmospheric perspective – at a scale that envelops visitors in the scene's intimacy and reveals the softness of the skin tones and transparency of the veils like never in a museum.

Fog, lasers, and spatialized sound in the former foundry: For this creation, the Atelier des Lumières has completely renewed its technical setup. One hundred and forty projectors and a spatial sound system dress the walls and floor of the old foundry.

Jean-Baptiste Hardoin, creative director, stages the show with Studio Cutback. Thomas Dechandon, light designer for the Paris 2024 Olympic ceremonies, orchestrates a ballet of light beams, lasers, and fog veils that give the images an unprecedented physical depth.

These atmospheric effects, integrated for the first time in this space, mark a break with previous creations. The original soundtrack, designed by studio Troublemakers, creates a dialogue between today’s music and Renaissance motifs.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), The Last Supper, 1495–1498 – Digital projection based on the original mural painting (Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan). The historical rigor of the journey is based on the work of Florian Métral, Renaissance specialist, who supervised the selection and contextualization of the works.

The ticket to the Atelier des Lumières also grants access to the children's workshop, a space dedicated to younger visitors where they explore Leonardo da Vinci’s universe, color his iconic machines, and see their creations come to life on the walls.