Pope Pius VII

Zapata acknowledges his debt to older Spanish painters such as Antoni Tàpies, Manuel Millares, Antonio Saura, and Luis Feito, who led the subsequent generations to abstraction in the 1950s. With his distinct style, Zapata established his reputation in the mid-eighties as one of the leading artists of contemporary Spain. Zapata is an artist who chooses to work in the medium of history. He recoups images from the past in his works –often the masterpieces and architectural elements of the Renaissance– only to personify them by manipulations and interventions.

Pope Pius VII (14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti,[a] was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in 1823. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict in addition to being a well-known theologian and bishop throughout his life.