The Sistine Chapel in Rome Gets New Lights - WSJ http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-sistine-chapel-in-rome-gets-new-lights...
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Sistine Chapel in Rome Gets New Lights The Vatican Museums have installed new lights for the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, famously painted by Michelangelo, as well as its walls
By LIAM MOLONEY Sept. 25, 2014 12:46 p.m. ET
Rome
Let there be light.
That is, essentially, what the Vatican Museums asked German lighting company Osram to do in the Sistine Chapel. Museum officials wanted to improve lighting so poor and patchy that some visitors struggled to clearly see famous details, such as the panel where God's hand touches Adam's, bringing him to life.
Starting next month, the new lights will boost by at least five times the illumination of Michelangelo's
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500 year old masterpiece—but won't damage the frescos, according to Osram. The move will also cut energy consumption by at least 60% while Pope Francis , who is expected to be the first to view the new system, is encouraging parsimony at the Vatican.
The Sistine Chapel, where cardinals meet to elect a new pope, is a particularly high profile example of a change sweeping through major museums in recent years, as they switch to LEDs, or light emitting diodes, to cut costs, save energy and improve their displays. Last year, Toshiba installed LEDs for the Mona Lisa and other works in Paris's Louvre Museum. London's National Portrait Gallery and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum have also switched to LEDs recently.
When Boston's Museum of Fine Arts renovated its Impressionist Gallery, it installed LED lighting, and it plans to eventually make the switch for the rest of its exhibitions, says Keith Crippen, the museum's head designer. "Our visitors are impressed by the richness in color, sharper [lighting] and clarity from the LEDs," added Mr. Crippen. Another plus: the long life of LEDs cuts down on how often bulbs on 30 foot