Home » Museums Articles » Emerging NYC Artist Fred Villanueva Shows Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI at National Museum of Catholic Art and History; Commissioned Mural to Commemorate April Visit
Emerging NYC Artist Fred Villanueva Shows Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI at National Museum of Catholic Art and History; Commissioned Mural to Commemorate April Visit
The NMCAH commissioned a portrait of the pontiff to coincide with his April visit to the US.
/Museums PR News/ - NEW YORK, NY, February 19, 2008 - Artist Fred Villanueva will debut his largest public work to date at the National Museum of Catholic Art and History. The portrait of Pope Benedict XVI is featured in the Museum's latest show, to open February 22, 2008.
After collaborating with Mr. Villanueva on a previous show, the Museum commissioned a portrait of the pontiff to coincide with his April visit to the US. Villanueva, who met the Pope at an audience in Rome a year ago, undertook a mural-scale composition. The Neo-Expressionist work features the Pope in the center, praying before a Madonna and Child, surrounded by the men and women throughout history whose writings influenced Benedict's theology.
"This painting is a bit of a departure for me, as my most recent work is more concerned with subverting images from pop culture, critiquing consumerism and Western society," Villanueva said. "However, I found this subject [the Pope] intriguing, because I recognize that many people find him controversial, and religious art generally does not appeal to most artists working today."
The Museum hopes to present the painting as a gift to Pope Benedict, though no details have yet been announced.
The National Museum of Catholic Art and History is located at 443 East 115th Street in Manhattan. www.nmcah.org "The Holy Theologian" continues through March.
Fred Villanueva's work can be found at www.fredvillanueva.com.
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Fred Villanueva
fredvillanueva.com
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98 Greenwich St. 10006
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