Official bust of the new Grand Duke of Luxembourg made with Artec 3D scanning

© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

Artec 3D is proud to announce that its industry-leading 3D scanners have been used to create an official bust of His Royal Highness Guillaume V, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

The statue was commissioned for an exhibition designed to celebrate His Royal Highness and Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg’s accession to the throne. Making an official portrait, whether in the form of a painting or a bust, is a centuries-old tradition and a big responsibility.

On this occasion, renowned artist Serge Ecker was given the honor of sculpting the Grand Duke’s bust. Created using a combination of traditional artistry and framing techniques, alongside Artec’s advanced 3D scanning technology, the final sculpture brilliantly captures the occasion – and the likeness of the real Guillaume V.

© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

The sculpture was unveiled at an official inauguration, which included His Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden, the President of the Chamber of Deputies Claude Wiseler, the Minister of Culture Eric Thill, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Launched with Nationalmusée um Fëschmaart and supported by Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies and Ministry of Culture, the exhibition is now being opened to the public. At the presentation, visitors can get to know the country’s new Head of State, while discovering a showcase of both its art and technology scenes, which have flourished in recent years.

Open to visitors, the showcase runs at Nationalmusée um Fëschmaart until February 1, 2026.

Modern technology meets historic artistry

In order to make the exhibition’s centerpiece, a large bronze bust of the Grand Duke, sculptor Serge Ecker reached out to Luxembourg-based digitization specialist Artec 3D.

Ahead of the “Trounwiessel,” Luxembourgish for “throne change,” two Artec experts were invited to meet and scan the Grand Duke in person.

To ensure that Ecker had all the imagery he’d possibly need, two sets of scans were captured: one with the ultra-high-resolution Spider II, and another with the wireless Leo. A 3D display was used to give the Grand Duke and his courtiers real-time feedback – and minutes later, the Artec team had picked up multiple complete scans with brilliant detail, including fine facial features.

© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

In Artec Studio, this data was later turned into a lifelike 3D model, which Ecker used as a reference for his design. According to the sculptor, having both scans turned out to be vital, as he needed to combine high-detail Spider II data with lower-poly Leo data for best results.

Cast from bronze, the final bust not only has a stunning resemblance to the Grand Duke, it reflects a coming together of artistic techniques old & new. “It was extremely thrilling to get to this end result, to work with the old handicraft business, the foundry who made this, and to be able to play with newly developed 3D scanning [technology],” Ecker told RTL. “This link between the digital [world] and traditional craftsmanship is immensely interesting.”

Championing Luxembourg on the world stage

Artec 3D already has a history of digitizing heads of state, having 3D scanned US President Barack Obama. Through its latest collaboration (arguably its most illustrious yet), the company has underlined its commitment to Luxembourg and the wider field of heritage preservation.

“Being invited to contribute to such an incredible project is an honor. We’re always happy to support Luxembourg in any way we can – and we’re delighted to have contributed to the Trounwiessel celebrations, a historic milestone for the country,” said Art Yukhin, CEO of Artec 3D. “The project is also a great demonstration of how our products can digitally capture historic moments for future generations to discover and enjoy.”

Artec 3D marks products “Made in Luxembourg” with pride and continues to work with political, business, and education leaders to advance the country’s interests at home and abroad.

To showcase Luxembourg’s heritage at the World Expo in Osaka, Artec 3D digitized many of its treasured landmarks, including the Grand Ducal Palace, Gëlle Fra, and the Hollow Tooth fort. The Luxembourg Pavilion showcased these heritage sites to visitors in person and virtually via an event app, bringing unprecedented exposure to the country’s rich history and traditions.

Discover the full story of Luxembourg’s Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, or learn more about the Grand Duke & Duchess’ Trounwiessel exhibition here.