Charles Billich’s latest painting, The Vatican, was inspired by his last visit to Rome, where Charles was graced by the presence of The Pope himself. They shared a brief interaction where the Pope declared that we would provide all the support he requires to complete the painting of the Vatican.
The painting will travel to Rome to be sanctioned by Pope Francis.
"I always wanted to live in the Vatican, but with my degree of sinfulness, I would never have qualified”, says Billich. “The Vatican is a heavenly place. I compare it to heaven quite seriously… it is so beautiful and at the same time so ethereal and inspirational...and if for no other reason it would be heaven for an artist's, as it contains the greatest connections in history it is a repository of our civilisation. It is a spiritual home for me. Any opportunity I have to visit the Vatican, I am there. The challenges to build, to paint an image of the Vatican, which embodies all of its magical powers and miraculous expressions of our culture. I've undertaken to paint the Vatican in the knowledge that ten lifetimes would not be sufficient for the task but the only thing to do is to humbly approach it as a craftsman and count and hope for divine guidance".