{"id":3929,"date":"2019-03-28T17:16:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T17:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9d3e54d4b2.nxcli.net\/?p=3929"},"modified":"2026-03-13T13:27:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T13:27:49","slug":"domingo-zapata-visits-the-vatican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/staging\/blog\/domingo-zapata-visits-the-vatican\/","title":{"rendered":"Domingo Zapata visits the Vatican"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\/*! elementor - v3.5.4 - 23-01-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\n<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_20190321_1716483-480x480-300x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_20190321_1716483-480x480-300x300-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_20190321_1716483-480x480-300x300-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Artist Domingo Zapata with his jacket painted by the Pope<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_20190321_1658048-480x480-300x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_20190321_1658048-480x480-300x300-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rcourihay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_20190321_1658048-480x480-300x300-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Canvas painted by Domingo Zapata, Mr. Brainwash, and the Pope.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Domingo Zapata was understandably nervous when meeting with Pope Francis, who appointed the Spanish-born artist an ambassador for Scholas Occurrentes, an organization that promotes arts education. \u201cRelax, now I\u2019ll paint on you,\u201d the Pontiff told him after the swearing in, and proceeded to paint a cross, a bird and his signature on Zapata\u2019s blue suit.<\/p>\n<p>The cross and bird topped with the papal autograph seems to be Francis\u2019 artistic signature \u2013 he painted the same thing on a canvas on which Zapata and fellow artist Mr. Brainwash also worked. \u201cHe did a cross, and then he did a bird \u2013 he does this thing all the time \u2013 and then he signed it,\u201d said Zapata who wrote \u201cI am human\u201d in Spanish on the canvas. Brainwash wrote \u201cLife is Beautiful\u201d and added a heart. The painting, titled \u201cEl Inmigrante,\u201d has an immigration theme and will be auctioned off to benefit Scholas Occurrentes.<\/p>\n<p>Zapata had painted in the Pope\u2019s presence once before when he created a work that sold for $500,000 to benefit the organization. Francis was thankful \u2013 and enjoyed the experience \u2013 and invited him back to the Vatican for a joint art session.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s great is that I am the first painter to ever paint with the Pope, and I am the first painter to ever become a canvas for the Pope,\u201d Zapata said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s beautiful we have a Pope that promotes art in education,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely important, and I am proud to be an ambassador of this and to be able to help.\u201d Zapata also donated other works to help raise funds for the organization.<\/p>\n<p>Of Pope Francis\u2019 artistic skills, Zapata says, \u201cWe need to get him a couple more classes, but I think he\u2019s doing better.\u201d And what will he do with that brand new suit with the Pope\u2019s painting on it? \u201cI\u2019m going to paint on it, and then I\u2019m going to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artist Domingo Zapata with his jacket painted by the Pope Canvas painted by Domingo Zapata, Mr. Brainwash, and the Pope. Domingo Zapata was understandably [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1973],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials"],"acf":{"full_width":false,"header_transparent":false,"header_white":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Domingo Zapata visits the Vatican - R. Couri Hay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Artist Domingo Zapata with his jacket painted by the Pope Canvas painted by Domingo Zapata, Mr. Brainwash, and the Pope. 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