Entering the home of retired Tech. Sgt. Robert Zacharias, a former weather forecaster, inspires both wonder and confusion. In his living room, traditional couches and a television sit beneath a collection of famous paintings, most notably Rembrandt van Rijn’s portrait “Jan Six” and painting “Aristotle with a Bust of Homer.”

Zacharias’ living room walls are covered with paintings he’s recreated. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

Half of the things in this room are made by Zacharias, but it’s not the furniture.

“I’ve been painting ever since I was a little kid,” said Zacharias. “I saw some drawings from Walt Disney in the late 30s and I went home and tried to copy them from memory. When I found out I could do that, I just went from there and started doing various things. I had a phase in my life where all I did was birds. At another time all I did was comic book characters. Right now I’m into famous paintings.”

He reproduced his first Rembrandt painting, Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, in 1962 while he was still in the Air Force. 

Zacharias has completed two Rembrandt reproductions and is working on a third. These full-size reproductions are nearly indistinguishable from the originals; only the small signature painted into the corner gives them away.

To the untrained eye, Zacharias’ signature is the only way to tell his reproduction of “Jan Six” by Rembrandt van Rijn from the original. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

While he has always been interested in painting, Zacharias didn’t think he’d be able to make a career out of being an artist. When he graduated from high school in 1949 he joined the military.

“The Korean War was getting pretty bad over and everyone was joining the military or getting drafted. I didn’t want to get drafted, so I joined the Air Force and went to weather school.”

During his 23-year career as a weather forecaster, Zacharias was stationed in “all the exotic places in the world” but his last assignment was to Aviano Air Base, Italy.

During his four and a half years at Aviano, he fell in love with an Italian woman, got married and settled down.

After retiring in 1976, he created drawings of scenes around the local area. At his wife, Inez, suggestion, he began to reproduce and sell these drawings. For 30 years he reproduced and sold them at the Aviano Exchange, various bazaars and AAFES gift shops around Italy and Germany.

Original drawings by Zacharias hang on a wall in his home in Pordenone, Italy on Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias sold prints of his drawings on Aviano Air Base for 30 years. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

“I would make 500 copies of my original drawings and sell them,” said Zacharias. “Then I would miniaturize them for Christmas cards and things like that. They sold fast and I could sell them at a very reasonable price.”

A wedding ring sits next to a photo of Zacharias and his wife, Inez, in his home in Pordenone, Italy on Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias has lived in Italy since retiring from the U.S. Air Force more than 30 years ago.  (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

After his wife died in 2011, Zacharias to recreate another Rembrandt painting-“Jan Six.” The endeavor would take him more than 230 hours to complete.

After seeing his detailed reproductions, one might wonder how Zacharias is able to create nearly exact replicas of these famous works.

Zacharias outlines the painting Christ at Emmaus by Rembrandt van Rijn onto a canvas, Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

“When I recreate a painting, first I make a photocopy of a picture of the original and draw grid lines on it,” he explained. “Then I take the canvas and create a grid with the same amount of squares.”

All his works are recreated in his own unique artist’s studio.

“I’ve found that if you live alone, you’re authorized to paint in the kitchen.”

Zacharias outlines the painting Christ at Emmaus by Rembrandt van Rijn onto a canvas, Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

Zacharias usually paints for two or three hours a day, five days a week in his kitchen. While he works, he spends these hours listening to news and political commentaries on the television

“I got the thing set up in the kitchen so I can look out of the doorway and see the television in the living room,” he explained.

Zacharias outlines the painting Christ at Emmaus by Rembrandt van Rijn onto a canvas, Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

Zacharias recently began duplicating the painting “Christ at Emmaus” by Rembrandt and he has no plans of stopping painting anytime soon. With that in mind, he had some words of wisdom to pass on to today’s generation of Airmen.

Zacharias sits in his home in Pordenone, Italy on Oct. 28, 2016. Zacharias reproduces famous paintings in his spare time. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystal Ardrey)

“Enjoy your youth because when you’re not young anymore, you can’t get it back,” he said “This is probably the best assignment in Europe. Wherever you are, get to know the locals and get to know their way of life. Assignments like this don’t come along very often, so appreciate what’s around you.”