Following the major retrospective presented at the Chapelle de la Salpêtrière in Paris in 2002, the exhibition held at the Chapelle de la Trinité in Lyon, from October 3 to November 2, 2003, marked a decisive milestone in GRATALOUP’s artistic journey. Organized with the support of Miguel Sieler, then President of Bayer France, this major event enabled the artist to present his work within one of Lyon’s most remarkable Baroque monuments.

Through the significance of the venue, the quality of its presentation, and the scale of the works on display, the exhibition became one of the highlights of GRATALOUP’s career in the early 2000s. It was met with great success among the Lyon public and contributed to a wider recognition of an artistic practice in which painting becomes at once an aesthetic experience, a philosophical reflection, and a spiritual quest.

At the heart of the exhibition were the works from the Massabielle series, directly inspired by the profound inner experience the artist underwent in Lourdes. In these paintings, light occupies a central role. No longer merely a compositional element, it becomes a presence in itself, a symbol of revelation and transformation. Forms, colors, and spaces appear animated by a spiritual force that invites viewers to look beyond the visible world.

The exhibition also featured works from the Genesis series, in which GRATALOUP continued his exploration of origins, creation, and the fundamental forces that shape the universe. Through a rich and expressive pictorial language, he examined themes of emergence, transformation, and the deep relationship between humanity and nature.

These works were presented alongside several large symbolic landscapes, characteristic of this period of his production. Deserts, open horizons, mineral expanses, and vegetal forms become the setting for a meditation on time, infinity, and humanity’s place within the cosmos. Far removed from simple representation, these landscapes express inner states and invite a contemplative engagement with the work.

The encounter between these paintings and the exceptional architecture of the Chapelle de la Trinité created a particularly powerful dialogue. The monument’s grand volumes, natural light, and rich decorative setting amplified the symbolic resonance of the works and reinforced their immersive dimension.

Through its scale, attendance, and impact, the exhibition at the Chapelle de la Trinité remains one of the major events of GRATALOUP’s career. It reflects a period of full artistic maturity, during which the artist powerfully affirmed a deeply humanistic and spiritual vision, placing light, creation, and the search for meaning at the very heart of his work.