Italian Masterpiece

1985 enlisted Nicola Verlato to recreate Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel inside the new four door Fiat 500L. To showcase the vehicle’s spaciousness, Nicola brought the masterpiece to life on site at the Los Angeles Auto Show, over the course of only six days. Filmed live and featured on Fiat’s social channels, the exhibition garnered interest from around the world and generated an impressive 45 million earned media impressions.

Prior to the event, Nicola collaborated with Fiat’s fabricators in Detroit to reconfigure and prep the 500L, replacing the vehicle’s headliner and installing a fiberglass ceiling specifically coated to absorb paint. The fiberglass was then coated with gesso, to mimic the renaissance period style, where frescoes were painted on plaster while still wet. The seats were removed, and a special floor was created to allow Nicola to move and swivel as he paints on his back, just like the great Michelangelo.

Nicola’s work of figures, narratives and mythologies is an incredible modern re-incarnation of Michelangelo’s renaissance period frescoes. Based in Los Angeles, Nicola was born and raised in Verona, Italy (not far from Fiat’s headquarters) where he spent summers as a child as an apprentice to the monk painter Fra’ Tenezio.  Nicola’s Italian heritage and incredible artistic talent made him the perfect fit for the masterpiece at hand.