A lighting system, comprising a plurality of light sources (4a - 4i) arranged to emit light of defined radiation spectra, a smoothing layer positioned on a first distance from the light sources (4a - 4i), and through which the light is emitted, the light sources (4a - 4i) being positioned on mutual distances from each other behind the smoothing layer, characterized in that the light sources (4a-4i) are separately powered and grouped into separately controlled color areas, whereby the light emitted from the light sources (4a - 4i) has overlapping radiation patterns and an intensity of the light sources that is spectrally optimized by numerical simulation of a light distribution for producing a defined color representation having said light distribution that resembles the view of a natural sky or other view with continuous and smooth color transitions on the smoothing layer, and in that the lighting system further comprises a computer configured to perform said numerical simulation of the light distribution and to transform data resulting from the numerical simulation into settings for the intensity of the light sources, a controller configured to store the settings in the form of input instructions for the intensity of the light sources (4a - 4i), the controller further being configured to control the individual light sources (4a - 4d) of the light system to generate the defined color representation on the smoothing layer, and the controller having control electronics and power supplies (5a - 5d) for each color area to control the light sources (4a-4d); and optics for beam shaping and/or collimation for controlling the direction of light sources (4a - 4d). a plurality of light sources (4a - 4i) arranged to emit light of defined radiation spectra, a smoothing layer positioned on a first distance from the light sources (4a - 4i), and through which the light is emitted, the light sources (4a - 4i) being positioned on mutual distances from each other behind the smoothing layer, characterized in that the light sources (4a-4i) are separately powered and grouped into separately controlled color areas, whereby the light emitted from the light sources (4a - 4i) has overlapping radiation patterns and an intensity of the light sources that is spectrally optimized by numerical simulation of a light distribution for producing a defined color representation having said light distribution that resembles the view of a natural sky or other view with continuous and smooth color transitions on the smoothing layer, and in that the lighting system further comprises a computer configured to perform said numerical simulation of the light distribution and to transform data resulting from the numerical simulation into settings for the intensity of the light sources, a controller configured to store the settings in the form of input instructions for the intensity of the light sources (4a - 4i), the controller further being configured to control the individual light sources (4a - 4d) of the light system to generate the defined color representation on the smoothing layer, and the controller having control electronics and power supplies (5a - 5d) for each color area to control the light sources (4a-4d); and optics for beam shaping and/or collimation for controlling the direction of light sources (4a - 4d).