"You have almost penetrated too deeply into my psyche," judged Pope Paul VI during a conversation with Ernst Günter Hansing while contemplating a drawing that the painter had made of the pontiff. Hansing, born in 1929 in Kiel, created "inner images" of people alongside abstract compositions, which provided him with a lasting impulse for artistic engagement. Among them were Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. The artist observed them for a long time in order to shape their portraits from a dimension of depth in his distinctive formal language. Paul VI appears in Hansing's painting "Papacy" as a figure almost weighed down by the burden of his office, humbly pleading and thereby strengthened. John Paul II is dedicated to the painting "The Pilgrim Pope," who tirelessly fulfills his mission to people around the world. Numerous studies precede these major works, allowing for a traceable exploration of the artist's inquiries and the steps leading to the final expression. This volume provides insight into the series of works leading up to the major pieces. Texts and photographs comprehensively document Hansing's encounters with two popes who are among the prominent figures of contemporary history.