When Pope Francis received his portrait from Fabian Pérez in 2015, the Pontiff’s response was immediate and profound: “When I see this painting, I see a reflection of myself.” That moment, captured in the Vatican’s hallowed halls, illustrates why the world’s most recognizable figures choose painted portraits over photography when they want to be remembered for posterity. In an age of infinite digital images, these celebrities are turning to canvas and oil paint to capture something photography cannot: the essence of their souls.
The phenomenon spans continents and industries. Arnold Schwarzenegger became connected to Pérez through mutual friends and has since supported the artist’s charity efforts. Likewise, Pérez has constantly collaborated with the charitable programs led by the Hollywood actor and former California governor through his After-School All-Stars foundation. Al Pacino, Rafael Nadal, Lionel Messi, and Argentina’s former President Mauricio Macri have all sat for Pérez’s brush. Even music legends like Quincy Jones and Ringo Starr appear in his “Living Legends“ collection, a deliberate catalog of figures who, in Pérez’s words, “are leaving something to the history of our world.”
The Psychology of Permanence
What drives public figures to commission painted portraits when they’re already among the most photographed people on earth? According to Pérez, the answer lies in the fundamental difference between capturing an image and revealing character. “Every person has a story. When you paint a person, it is not just a person, it is the whole space and mood around them, and inside them,” he explains. This approach focuses on what he calls painting “people’s bodies to capture their soul.”
This distinction becomes crucial for celebrities whose public images are carefully managed through professional photography, social media, and publicity campaigns. A photograph freezes a moment; a painted portrait, particularly one executed in Pérez’s Neo-Emotionalist style, reveals the psychological landscape beneath the surface. The artist’s use of dramatic chiaroscuro lighting and atmospheric composition creates what he calls “evidence of the artist’s abilities” to see beyond the facade that public figures necessarily maintain.
The process itself reinforces this intimacy through Pérez’s selective approach to portrait commissions. When he painted the Countess Spencer at Althorp House, the commission became part of the family’s private collection, a personal rather than public statement. Similarly, his portrait of Pope Francis, presented personally to the Pontiff at the Vatican, was added to the Pope’s private collection, emphasizing the personal nature of these works.
The Neo-Emotionalist Advantage
Pérez’s particular appeal to celebrity subjects lies in his artistic philosophy, which he terms Neo-Emotionalism. Rather than creating idealized representations or caricatures, his approach captures what he sees as the subject’s authentic emotional state. “It is fascinating to see how our bodies react according to the way we think,” he notes in describing his portrait methodology. This psychological realism appeals to public figures tired of surface-level representation.
The technical execution supports this emotional authenticity. His portraits employ the same cinematic lighting techniques that define his broader body of work: dramatic shadows, warm highlights, and compositions that suggest narrative depth. The connection between artist and subject often extends beyond the commission itself, as evidenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pérez’s mutual support for charitable initiatives.
The exclusivity factor also plays a significant role. Pérez deliberately limits his portrait commissions, creating what his galleries describe as “intimate and beautiful works” that are “both a stunning likeness and a deeply personal interpretation.” This selectivity makes each commission feel significant rather than routine, a bespoke artistic experience rather than a commercial transaction. His Living Legends series continues to grow as he identifies figures he considers worthy of inclusion.
For celebrities accustomed to being commodified through endless reproduction of their images, Pérez offers something increasingly rare: a singular, unreproducible artistic interpretation that belongs to them alone. In a culture where digital images proliferate infinitely, these painted portraits represent the ultimate luxury, a unique reflection that exists nowhere else, captured by an artist who sees their humanity rather than their brand. That may be why, from Vatican apartments to Hollywood mansions, the world’s most visible figures are choosing to be remembered not in pixels, but in paint.
