Renowned Portrait Artist Igor Babailov to Paint His Fourth Papal Portrait for the Vatican
Celebrated American Artist Meets Pope Leo XIV for Historic Portrait
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Igor Babailov, world-renowned American portrait master and recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022), met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on October 1st where arrangements were made for him to create his unique preliminary life drawing studies of the Pontiff, for his upcoming grand oil portrait. His previous Vatican papal portraits include Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II amongst other Vatican sacred works of art, including the official portrait of the Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.
Babailov was acknowledged as Maestro by Vatican Curator Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli, when his portrait of Pope Benedict XVI was chosen by the Pontiff to represent His papacy and was the only living artist in the Vatican Splendors International Museum tours. His Vatican Museum portrait of Pope Benedict XVI hung alongside the works of Michelangelo, Giotto, Bernini, and other Renaissance Masters.
According to Babailov, "It is truly a great honor to paint my fourth Papal portrait for the Vatican. Everyone has unique individuality, which as a portrait artist, I must capture, but one thing that the Popes have in common is their holiness. In preparation and as practiced by all the great masters in the history of portraiture, I use my expertise of drawing from life, meeting the person and seeing their eyes - the mirror of their soul. Portrait painting is more than a visual likeness, it's the exploration of a person's inner world, something that AI and photography can never do."
The Late Pope Francis expressed his admiration when his portrait was unveiled in 2015, stating, "This work is inspired, it touches my heart," while holding his hands to his heart.
About the Artist
Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA(PhD-NASAD), D.Litt.(Hon.Causa) is a world-renowned American portrait artist, academician, scholar and author. He has painted popes, presidents, prime ministers, supreme court justices, noble prize laureates, Fortune 500 ceos, celebrities, royalty, the new George Washington portrait for Mt. Vernon and numerous works for prestigious collections. www.Babailov.com
SOURCE Studio Babailov
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