Unveiling the Vatican

Unveiling the Vatican - Emma Bovill meets renowned artist in residence Jeremy Houghton at his Cotswolds home to talk about his latest projects.

"It wasn't a conclave, it was a circus," says artist Jeremy Houghton animatedly, referring to his serendipitous witnessing of the election of a new Pope in 2025. Originally invited to the Vatican to attend the Swiss Guard's swearing-in ceremony, held annually on 6th May to commemorate the Sack of Rome in 1527, the death of Pope Francis turned a reconnaissance visit for his latest residency into an encounter even more vibrant than the Papal protection unit's uniform.

"There were nuns, priests and cardinals everywhere and people asking, 'Who are you voting for?'" remembers Jeremy. "The Swiss Guard are colourful anyway, combined with all that pageantry." Former artist in residence at Windsor Castle, Highgrove, Wimbledon and Goodwood, Jeremy will be spending 18 months immersing himself in the history of one of the oldest armies in the world to honour the 500th anniversary of the incident which nearly wiped them out.

No stranger to capturing on canvas the personality and legacy of prestigious institutions — including the centenaries of the Royal Air Force and Aston Martin and the 500th anniversary of the Gentlemen at Arms (the monarch's bodyguard) — Jeremy's residency with the Swiss Guard offers the added complexity of recreating events never before depicted: the heroic defence, by the initially mercenary Swiss Guard of Pope Clement VII, in the face of Charles V's invading forces.

"The challenge is there's nothing for me to work from; this is completely blind and obscure," explains Jeremy, whose residencies usually involve observation, at a discreet distance, of organisations or individuals in action, such as Roger Federer during coaching sessions or, running concurrently with the Swiss Guard residency, getting up close with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) during rehearsals and performances to create artworks celebrating its 80th year.

"It's such an important part of Christian history; this was a humbling moment for the Pope," adds Jeremy. "There is a true story and I've done my research, but it's the first time it's been visually told. It's an opportunity and I've got to grasp it and make the most of it." He will be making frequent trips to Rome to go beyond the flamboyant layers of the Swiss Guard's Renaissance-era garb, including, so far, a surprise private tour of the Sistine Chapel during the delayed 2025 swearing-in ceremony.

Standing in "the most famous room in the world" was an affirming moment for Jeremy, whose first residency in South Africa in 2004, focused on Rorke's Drift and the Anglo-Zulu War, was based from a mud hut. His residencies since have involved rare and privileged access: to the private homes and personal experiences of surviving Battle of Britain pilots, staying one step ahead of a high-speed Aston Martin rally, or seeing the monarch at leisure. "I bumped into the Queen a few times at Windsor, off duty walking corgis," he discloses.

Staying "in the shadows" is not only Jeremy's preferred approach, but crucial to conveying authenticity in the paintings he composes. "I don't want to be the focal point; I want to be peripheral. I don't want people to pose," he states. "Initially it's just wandering around, getting the geography of the place, learning the dynamics. You've got to be nimble and adapt." He jokes that he once dressed as a waiter to pass incognito at a state dinner, only Jeremy and his wife, Sophia, beneath Michelangelo's Last Judgement, Sistine Chapel Watercolour from the Swiss Guard residency, 2026-7 Watercolour from the Windsor Castle residency - Flanked by Greys, 2022 It's an opportunity and I've got to grasp it and make the most of it." for the sharp-eyed Queen Elizabeth II to enquire why he wasn't doing anything.

After over two decades as an artist in residence, Jeremy takes as much delight in his work as he recognises the responsibility to render faithfully, albeit subjectively, the beating heart of highprofile public institutions. "Whether it's a place, person or occasion, my role is to keep these stories alive," attests Jeremy. "If I can do that, I think I'm achieving something. I give people the chance to see behind closed doors and own a piece of it." 

His modus operandi requires focus and dedication: making sketches and notes, taking photographs and mental images, and committing to memory impressions which he later translates into paintings in the studio. The idiosyncratic nature of each residency offers ample room for creativity. "There's not one template that fits them all," he asserts. "The beauty, or good fortune, behind my work is that places are keen to see what I do. It's clear it's my interpretation, but my pictures often tease out stories. You create a platform to share them."

Jeremy will be using the Enlightenment as a guiding theme for the Swiss Guard residency. "I usually work from dark towards light; I'm thinking of reversing that," he reveals. Meanwhile, his RPO residency will explore movement and how contrast, tone, colour, texture, speed and rhythm apply across both music and fine art. "They're throwing their art into a space," he says of the orchestra. "Painting the pictures is easy — I'm trying to work out what the narrative is for them."

Working from Chipping Campden, Slad and Childswickham, the Cotswolds provide Jeremy with space to distil his residencies into artworks encompassing watercolour, pen and ink, acrylic and oil. "I like to spread out and be able to see things," he justifies. "My work is so varied — each residency you try and do something different." Jeremy's time with the Swiss Guard and within the inner reaches of the Vatican will, he hopes, result in a touring exhibition designed to aid the unit's recruitment. He is also undertaking a second tour of the US in the autumn, delivering talks on his work. "A residency never finishes," he reflects. "Experiences breed ideas."