{"id":93673,"date":"2025-10-22T06:00:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T06:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/93673\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T06:00:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T06:00:16","slug":"how-to-convey-the-serenity-of-a-martyr-the-challenge-of-painting-peter-to-rots-portrait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/93673\/","title":{"rendered":"How to convey the serenity of a martyr? The challenge of painting Peter To Rot\u2019s portrait"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n \"Andr\u00e9s
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

By Andr\u00e9s Henr\u00edquez<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 21, 2025 \/
\n 09:00 am<\/p>\n

Malaga, Spain-born artist Ra\u00fal Berzosa has painted portraits of popes for the Vatican, and his works have graced the covers of booklets at Vatican ceremonies and even the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum. However, as he himself confessed on X<\/a>, none had ever hung on the fa\u00e7ade of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica.<\/p>\n

That honor came this week with the portrait of St. Peter To Rot, which Berzosa painted for the saint\u2019s canonization ceremony on Oct. 19. The Vatican commissioned the Catholic artist to paint the official portrait<\/a>, which has been displayed since Oct. 17 on the fa\u00e7ade of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica. Berzosa considers the work to be a fruit of grace and the culmination of a life dedicated to reflecting the light of faith in art.<\/p>\n

Peter To Rot, who was born in Papua New Guinea, served as a catechist and died a martyr for the faith in 1945. He was canonized on Oct. 19 along with six others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1995, during his trip to Papua New Guinea, St. John Paul II described To Rot\u2019s life <\/a>as \u201ca beacon shining bright, a signal fire leading you to hold aloft the noble ideals which inspired him: faith in God, love of family, service of neighbor, and unswerving courage in the face of trials and sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berzosa, 46, renowned worldwide for his realistic style and religious themes, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner, that with his work depicting the Papuan saint, he sought to convey the inner light of which the Polish pope spoke.<\/p>\n

\"OfficialOfficial portrait of St. Peter To Rot. Credit: Courtesy of Ra\u00fal Berzosa<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the portrait manages to convey some of Peter To Rot\u2019s bright inner light and helps others strengthen their faith, then the work will have fulfilled its true function,\u201d the Spanish painter said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that the faithful see in his gaze not only a martyr but a man full of peace, love for his family, and fidelity to the Gospel,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

For Berzosa, To Rot\u2019s essential witness lies in the conviction that holiness \u201ccan be lived out in everyday life, even in the midst of suffering, as in his case.\u201d<\/p>\n

The artist said he wanted the lighting effects in the portrait \u201cto emerge from within the face itself, something serene that engages the viewer and seeks to convey hope.\u201d Berzosa also noted that the \u201clight blue and green brushstrokes\u201d create a warm atmosphere, with the color and the overall composition seeking to accompany \u201cthis luminous message.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenges of painting the first Papuan saint<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main challenge was to approach Peter To Rot\u2019s image itself with respect and accuracy. To achieve this, I had some black and white photographs as well as a color portrait based on one of the photographs. All of this helped me create my painting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In Berzosa\u2019s portrait, To Rot is dressed in the traditional attire of local catechists: a white shirt and a type of blue wrap.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the Japanese threatened the catechists and prohibited any apostolic activity, the vast majority \u2014 out of fear \u2014 hid the cross. Peter To Rot was the only catechist who continued to proudly display the white cross that identified him as a catechist,\u201d Berzosa noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn one hand he holds a Bible and in the other [open hand he shows] two rings, a reference to his defense of marriage. A cross hangs from his neck,\u201d the artist explained. To Rot wanted to die wearing that cross, which would later be key to identifying his mortal remains. Behind the figure of the saint, the countryside of his native land at the time can be seen.<\/p>\n

For the most accurate depiction, the painter researched photographs, traditional clothing, and other local references.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Story continues below)<\/p>\n

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\u201cThroughout this work, I was assisted by Father Tom\u00e1s Agust\u00edn Ravaioli, vice postulator of the cause,\u201d Berzosa explained.<\/p>\n

Portraying a martyr<\/p>\n

The artist noted that the lives of martyrs, although often short, are \u201cfull of meaning, dedicated out of love and fidelity to the Lord.\u201d He said he always seeks to convey the serenity of these witnesses to the Gospel in the most decisive moment of their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to understand that mixture of strength and peace of someone who gives his life for Christ,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I paint portraits of martyrs, there is a special respect for the person portrayed. Their witness transcends cultures and eras,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

This story was first published<\/a> by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.<\/p>\n


\n \"Andr\u00e9s
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9s Henr\u00edquez is a Venezuelan writer specializing in religion and politics with more than five years of experience in bilingual media. He is a member of the Regnum Christi Federation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Andr\u00e9s Henr\u00edquez ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 21, 2025 \/ 09:00 am Malaga, Spain-born artist Ra\u00fal Berzosa has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,21102,501,156,111,139,69,69744,69743,69742,69741],"class_list":{"0":"post-93673","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-catholic-news","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-newzealand","17":"tag-nz","18":"tag-raul-berzosa","19":"tag-saint-peter-to-rot","20":"tag-vatian","21":"tag-vatican"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}