Michelangelo Exhibit Opens Sept. 1

One of the great Renaissance artworks of Rome will visit Baton Rouge when the exhibit “Michelangelo: A Different View” comes to the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge on Sept. 1.

The frescoes painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican have been replicated, providing an up-close view for visitors, according to Alysia DesCoteaux Guin, the facility’s marketing manager. 

The exhibit includes the entire display of the works and licensed by the Vatican, including the 20 x 20 painting of “The Last Judgment.”   

“This display is rich in Catholic history,” said Guin, noting the display will be on the floors and the walls of the exhibit area and will provide a unique experience for everyone through a closer, more unhurried glimpse of the artwork than they would have if they were in Rome. 

“It’s gets you ‘up close’ to the Sistine Chapel (ceiling) more than you’ll ever expect,” Guin said.

Originally scheduled for this past spring, the exhibit was rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We thought about the guests, and we were expecting older adults and children, who are at risk,” said Guin.

But having been to the Sistine Chapel herself, Guin said the exhibit promises to be well worth the wait.

According to organizers, the show’s creators used state-of-the-art technology to reproduce photographs taken of the artworks following restorations in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Because the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling is curved, the team had to slightly adapt Michelangelo’s paintings for head-on viewing.

Furthermore, they used “a special printing technique that emulates and the look and feel of the original paintings,” offering viewers the chance to see “every detail, every brushstroke and every color of the artist’s 34 frescoes. Wall text and audio tours accentuate the immersive experience.”

Guin said, “The Sistine Chapel is amazing, but because the trip there is so expensive so many people don’t get to go. And even for those who do get to go, they may be rushed and not see the details up close.” 

On a note about the artist, Guin said Michelangelo painted himself into the chapel’s fresco, a “Where’s Waldo?” concept.

The Baton Rouge exhibit is the lone showing of the exhibit in the region. COVID-19 safety protocols in effect at the time will be enforced. 

Tickets are on sale at the Raising Cane’s River Center box office and ticketmaster.com.