Cardinal Vincent Nichols — Portrait Sitting, London

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Portrait Sitting Rory Lewis Photographer Los Angeles, London & New York 2022

In February 2022, I had the privilege of photographing Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior figure of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. The portrait sitting took place on location at the Cardinal’s Palace, adjoining Westminster Cathedral—an environment rich in history, symbolism, and quiet authority.

My approach to this portrait was informed by the great Renaissance masters, particularly Raphael and Caravaggio, whose depictions of cardinals balance spiritual gravity with human presence. Using chiaroscuro lighting, I sought to create a contemporary interpretation of that tradition—one that honoured the lineage of ecclesiastical portraiture while remaining unmistakably photographic and modern.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Portrait Sitting Rory Lewis Photographer Los Angeles, London & New York 2022

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Portrait Sitting Rory Lewis Photographer Los Angeles, London & New York 2022

The sitting extended over two hours and was a genuine pleasure. We spoke at length about Renaissance art and its enduring influence, and I was generously shown around the Cardinal’s residence. These conversations and surroundings added depth to the session, shaping the final images and grounding them in both history and lived experience.

Cardinal Nichols was created Cardinal Priest on 22 February 2014 by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He was assigned the titular church of St Alphonsus Liguori, a neo-Gothic church entrusted to the Redemptorists and best known for housing the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, gifted by Pope Pius IX in 1866.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Portrait Sitting Rory Lewis Photographer Los Angeles, London & New York 2022

Within the Catholic Church, cardinals rank immediately below the Pope and collectively form the College of Cardinals. Their most solemn responsibility is the election of a new pontiff in conclave. Heraldically, a cardinal is traditionally represented by a red galero with fifteen tassels on each side. Cardinal Nichols’ personal motto, fortis est ut mors dilectio—“love is as strong as death”—encapsulates both spiritual conviction and moral resolve.

Los Angeles–based and working internationally, I create cinematic portraiture shaped by direction, atmosphere, and narrative intent. My work spans royalty, senior political and religious figures, Hollywood actors, and members of the armed forces. I am available year-round for portrait commissions in Los Angeles, London, New York, and internationally.