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Official Portrait of Nelson Mandela (official graphite drawing from Life sitting), by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Drawn from life in Ottawa, Canada. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Nelson Mandela President of South Africa (1994-1999) Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nelson Mandela Official Portrait Sketch from Life (Graphite) Presidential Collection: South Africa Drawn fast from Life sitting by Igor Babailov at an official ceremony honoring Nelson Mandela with the Honorary Canadian citizenship in Ottawa, Canada. As a historic commemoration of the occasion, a copy of this life portrait was presented by Canadian Prime Minister to Nelson Mandela on behalf of the People of Canada. Ottawa, Canada, November 19, 2001 OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Official Portrait of Brian Mulroney, 18th Prime Minister of Canada, by Igor V. Babailov. Collection: House of Commons, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Prime Minister Brian Mulroney 18th Prime Minister of Canada Official Portrait of The Rt. Honourable Brian Mulroney 18th Prime Minister of Canada (Oil on Canvas, 48" x 40") Official Collection: House of Commons, Parliament Hill, Ottawa CLICK Official portrait painting sitting at the Artist's Studio On the occasion of the portrait unveiling, the official photograph with two Prime Ministers of Canada, the Right Honorable Brian Mulroney and the Right Honorable Jean Chretien, was taken in the very room where Winston Churchill posed for his iconic photograph in 1941. Winston Churchill official photograph by Yousuf Karsh (1941). Collection: House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada. Graphite portrait studies from Life, in preparation for the official oil portrait painting Photo credit: Canadian press (nationalobserver.com) Official collection: House of Commons, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Portrait of Tom Monaghan - Founder of Domino Pizza, Owner of Detroit Tigers, Chancellor of Ave Maria University, Portrait (oil on canvas) by Igor Babailov. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Thomas Monaghan Founder of Domino Pizza, Owner of Detroit Tigers, Chancellor of Ave Maria University (Oil on Canvas, 52" x 40") Collection: Ave Maria University, Florida Preliminary Sketch from life in preparation for Oil painting. OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Portrait of Hillary Clinton, Inauguration Day 1993 (oil on canvas) by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Official collection: Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, Arkansas. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton First Lady of the United States (1993-2001) Portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Inauguration Day, 1993. (Oil on canvas, 30" x 24") by Igor Babailov Collection: Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, Arkansas Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, Arkansas To commission a custom portrait by Mr. Babailov and/or for any questions feel free to CONTACT us.

Portrait of Margaret Leo of McLean, by portrait artist Igor Babailov, Collection: Catholic Information Center, Washington, DC Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Blessed Stanley Rother Blessed Stanley Rother (oil on canvas, 30" x 24") Collection: The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Oklahoma City, OK Official Unveiling of the Blessed Stanley Rother portrait with the Most Reverend Paul Coakley, Archbishop of Oklahoma City, at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, Oklahoma City With His Excellency the Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of Nashville, at the Artist's studio The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, Oklahoma City Photo credit: Pablo Angel Gonzales / Oklahoma City Free Press

Studio of Igor V. Babailov - world-renowned portrait artist in Nashville, official portraits of Presidents, Popes, British royalty, Justices. Distinguished private, corporate and museum collections around the world. Igor V. Babailov Commissioned Portraits & other works of Art Master of Fine Arts / Ph.D. (NASAD) Hon. American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) Knighted Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne (est.1735) Honorary Doctor of Letters "A great Portrait Painting stands far beyond AI and photography!" Igor V. Babailov Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA/Ph.D. (NASAD), D.Litt (Hon.Causa) , World-renowned Portrait Artist, was selected to paint legacy portraits of Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Prime Ministers, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel Prize Laureates, members of noble families and Royalty, and three Popes for the Vatican. Acknowledged as Maestro by the Vatican curator, in his life-time professional and illustrious career as a portrait artist, he has created over 2,000 commissioned portraits, grand scale multi-figure paintings and other works of art for museums, official public, distinguished private and corporate collections around the world. He is the only portrait artist in America to have received The Ellis Island Medal of Honor with his name read into the Congressional Record. ENTER The Ellis Island Medal of Honor Please CLICK above for details NEW Book Legacy Portraits Get your autographed copy with the personal dedication. O nly on this website. In this new book, LEGACY PORTRAITS , Igor Babailov shares his upfront and close experiences of meeting and painting people from all walks of life: from schoolchildren to Fortune 500 CEOs and Supreme Court Justices, from sport legends and movie stars to Presidents, Prime Ministers and Popes in the Vatican. This one is the official portrait of Justice Samuel Alito by Igor Babailov, Collection: U.S. Supreme Court, Washington, D.C. The Only Living Artist Vatican Splendors Museum Tours Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI by Igor Babailov Collection: Vatican Museum, Rome Highest Honor for Portraiture from Royalty Times Square, New York City What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting PORTRAIT PROCEDURE The Master Approach TESTIMONIALS Share

Portrait of Reggie Jackson,"Mr. October," American baseball star, Baseball Hall of Fame, by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Unveiled in New York City. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Celebrity Portraits Reggie Jackson,"Mr. October" American Baseball star, National Baseball Hall of Fame Reggie Jackson (oil on canvas, 28" x 22") by Igor V. Babailov Reggie Jackson with Igor Babailov Reggie Jackson with his portrait by Igor Babailov, in New York City Igor Babailov and Reggie Jackson Reggie Jackson portrait unveiling, New York City Igor Babailov and Reggie Jackson Reggie Jackson with Igor Babailov, New York OTHER CELEBRITY PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Igor Babailov, All Galleries, Commissioned Portrait Paintings & Drawings, Murals, Sacred Art, Landscapes & Other Works. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA ALL GALLERIES PORTRAITS MURALS SACRED ART OTHER WORKS PRESS & NEWS PRESS GALLERY VATICAN SPLENDORS MASTER - CLASSES

Official portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov, Inventor of AK-47, by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Central Armed Forces Museum of Russia. Life portrait sitting video. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Official Portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov Inventor of AK-47 Collection: Central Armed Forces Museum of Russia, Moscow Portrait of Mikhail T. Kalashnikov - Inventor of AK-47 (oil on canvas) by Igor Babailov "It's like seeing myself in the mirror" ~ Mikhail Kalashnikov VIDEO of portrait sitting with Mikhail Kalashnikov OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

The Schedule of upcoming Portrait Master workshops with Igor Babailov. Registration online. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Intensive Portrait Master Workshops o schedule a 3-Day Master Portraiture Workshop in your area, please Contact us or email: info@babailov.com T COMPLETED April 10 - 12, 2026 ( 9:30 a m - 4:30 pm ) 3-Day Portrait Master Workshop Your ultimate guide to Portraiture in Franklin, TN One-on-One instruction, Life models, Master demonstrations October 8 - 10, 2026 (9:00 am - 4:00 pm) 3-Day Portrait Master Workshop Your ultimate guide to Portraiture Norwalk, Connecticut 23 Weatherbell Dr., Norwalk, CT 06851 One-on-One instruction, Life models, Master demonstrations Workshop Fee: $750. To Register and to secure your place in class, please make your Registration deposit of $250. (Registration deposit is non-refundable and can be applied towards future workshops. Balance payable on or before the first day of the Workshop ) UPCOMING Registration deposit $250. (Secures your place in class) Tuition balance $500. (Balance payable on or before the first day of the Workshop) PLEASE NOTE: Due to highly individualized attention, the workshop space is limited, and registration is on a 'first-come first-serve' basis. 2-Day Drawing Workshop in Rome, Italy In the Footsteps of the Master COMPLETED Join Igor Babailov in Italy, in the adventure of making spontaneous drawings from life of beautiful historic sites and architecture, ancient street scenes and monuments in the 'Eternal City' of Rome. Watch him draw, get inspired, and receive personal One-on-One instruction. "Visual Art education is about 'seeing', and I believe in leading by example, so to inspire my students and before they get to their own works , I do a quick, yet detailed, portrait demonstration from life." - Igor V. Babailov Timelapse of a 2-hr Step-by-Step Portrait Demo from Life The Igor Babailov 3-Day Master Portraiture Workshop is a rare opportunity to learn the insights of portraiture and advance your skills in painting and drawing portraits from life under One-on-One instruction by Igor Babailov. Working from LIFE in the A cademic tradition of the Great Masters improves your fine motor skills, visual memory, ability to better see and understand the portrait subject's form, character and essence, and successfully depict their 3-D appearance on a 2-dimensional surface. It prompts you to think and work faster and make the right split-second decisions instantly and on the spot, and not waist time on fixing mistakes. It ultimately liberates you from dependency on photography, helps to discover your individuality as an artist and advance your unique artistic skills to the new levels. If one can comfortably draw and paint a portrait entirely from life, one will always be able to work from photographs as well, and not the other way around, this is the reality! The workshop features: beautiful life models, master demonstrations and One-on-One instruction by Igor Babailov. "In Visual Art, it's better once to see, than one hundred times to hear! " - Igor V. Babailov Each day begins with a brief inspirational "how to" Portrait Demo from Life, to inspire the students to create their own work of the same model, under one-on-one instruction by Igor Babailov DAY 1: 1.5-hr DRAWING demo DAY 2: 2-hr PASTEL demo DAY 3: 3-hr OIL demo PLEASE NOTE: Due to highly individualized attention, the workshop space is limited, and registration is on a 'first-come first-serve' basis. Don't miss the exciting opportunity to study with Igor Babailov! About the A rtist F requently A sked Q uestions The Babailov Palette & Art Supplies Letter to Artists The Drawing Skills in Portrait Painting Igor Babailov's Formal Academic Lineage to the Great Masters CONTACT US

Igor Babailov's published article about Beauty verses Ugliness, Relativism verses Traditional Values, and Good Art verses Bad Art. The Resurrection of Realism – Beauty will Save the World By Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Published in the Faith an d Culture online publication and The Epo ch Times It is not a coincidence that the very last thing we ever expect to see in church, is Modern art or an abstract painting, such as a blank page, a single brick or splashes of paint, as some sort of “intellectual” revelation to message one’s ego. Why? Many of us would immediately answer that it just does not belong there, and they are right, it doesn’t. Since the Renaissance, realistic art has played a leading role in education and particularly Christian education. Whether it is in the Bible, churches, or Catholic publications, an illustrated history of Christianity has been presented by realistic and life-like images, those that the viewer can relate to and understand. A strong realistic work of art can clearly convey a theological message, materialize the word of God, and serve as a powerful vehicle of communication to the masses. Hence, artist theologians such as Rafael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters, painted religious works to educate, uplift and strengthen the faith. A definition of an ‘Artist’ was very clear in the past. Applied only to visual artists, it was also synonymous with ‘Skill,’ as the artist was someone who could do something that nobody else could do. VS. BEAUTY UGLINESS "Madonna Litta" (1490), by Leonardo da Vinci "Woman Standing - Pink" (1955), by Willem de Kooning Today, in times of Relativism, anyone can be labeled an “artist,” such as a cook, karate expert, dentist, butcher, or anyone. The term Artist has lost its sacred meaning. We often hear from the defenders of Modernism that ‘art can be anything and anything can be art.’ However, this just does not go well with our Christian heritage and culture, and portraying the Blessed Mother as a chaotic splash of paint or a deformed piece of sculpture, would stand against our visual perception of the Mother of Christ and, in general, our Christian teachings about the sacredness of life and the Beauty of Creation. A story comes to mind about a family of four children, driving on a road, along the fields with tree groves and rivers passing by. They were playing a game where each child were to name the ‘best,’ in their opinion, artist in the world. One child said it was ‘Picasso,’ another child mentioned ‘Van Gogh,’ then the third child named ‘Monet’ and the fourth child sat quietly looking out of the car window and admiring the nature flying by. Then he said, “Look at the sun and the birds and clouds in the blue sky, and the shapes and colors of the leaves and all the different trees. I think that the best artist in the world is God, who created it all.” Indeed, no one ever can create anything better than the masterpiece that He created. As an artist myself, I often think of that story, realizing that we artists realists are trying to reproduce the Beauty of God’s Creation on our canvases and, as artist theologians, we explore the nature of the divine. We know that we will never be as good as God in His skill, but at least we try to get as close as possible to that Master perfection. In other words, we treasure and glorify the Creation of Life and its Beauty. We go to schools and embark in traditional training of direct communication with nature to study all the “sciences in art,” as described by Michelangelo, Raphael and many other great masters after them. We strive to enhance our skills in drawing from life, because Realistic art is the only kind of art that requires skill, especially when it comes to exploring and capturing life in all its beauty and complexity, in the way it is and without exaggeration. I was fortunate to have received the core of such a traditional training and, unlike many debaters out there who are experts at expressing their opinion about art, I rely on my credentials which give me the artistic license, if you will, to support my remarks. A child prodigy, I painted my first portrait at four. I began my formal sixteen-year (1974-1990) fine art education at the age of nine and continued it at the specialized art lyceum for gifted children, followed by the Ph.D. levels of study at the renowned Surikov Art institute, all under the Russian Academy of Arts (founded in 1757) which recently also elected me as the Honorary foreign life-time academician. The curriculum of all my studies, besides such mandatory subjects as Human Anatomy, Perspective and others, also included History of Art from Prehistoric to Renaissance to Modern Art. So, we students were well aware of all the ‘art movements,’ styles and techniques, involved in every period of art. In our broad art education, we acquired the power of knowledge and the more we learned, the clearer was realization that masterfully executed realistic works of art can not be put on the same page with meaningless and helpless dribbles of paint, as we unfortunately often see today in schoolbooks. This is where the damage to the mind begins, resulting in total confusion of one’s thinking such as: If this one is a ‘masterpiece’ and this one is also a ‘masterpiece,’ what example should I follow? But in reality, it is not that complicated, as long as we remember that we live in a world of contrasts: plus verses minus, light verses dark, beauty verses ugliness. The concepts of Relativism are based on questioning what is already known, but what if it questions the moral values that helped humanity survive throughout its existence? Modern art goes hand in hand with Relativism, where common moral sense is demonized and instead ‘choice enlightened’ and socially acceptable often tasteless, unethical and even criminal behaviors such as abortion and euthanasia are championed as rights, choices, privileges and freedoms of expression. So, here is the question. Is Moral Relativism the tool of the devil and therefore the fundamental element in the art of Modernism, where God’s perfect form in human anatomy and nature is broken and defamed, and death and ugliness are celebrated over life and beauty? The answer is obvious. I would like to expand further and use Genesis Chapter 1, as the basis for the moral value of realistic painting and its vital role in following God’s commandments and in promoting and preserving life as He created it. In Genesis Chapter 1, it says that God created heaven and earth when the earth was without form or shape and in darkness. He separated light from darkness, and at the end of each day, “God saw it was good,” hence, God SAW goodness. Modern critics of the school of the Renaissance and Realism in general, claim that there is no creativity in depicting man or nature in its true form, yet that is exactly what God did in his creation of heaven and earth, nature and all beings. God created the template, the blueprint of Realism in art, where light and dark are separated in tonal values, and those who are familiar with the traditional school of art know that study of ‘tonal values’ in nature is the fundamental principle of Realism. After the viewer sees the realistic painter’s work, they become enlightened and SEE goodness, like God did after each stage of His creation. They see goodness also in the most tragic and sad paintings such as Christ on the cross and where a painting depicting pain and suffering, will move us to compassion and love. Realism is prayer, gratitude, honoring God’s creation. This is not the case in the inherent pessimism of Modern art, the art of ugliness and death, where future does not exist. Artistic talent is often referred to as a ‘gift from God’ and should be treasured as one and not taken for granted. For an artist, it also comes with sacred responsibilities, as the mission of Visual Art is not to celebrate selfish expression of one’s depressive feelings by primitive means. It must propagate goodness and beauty and not evil’s ugliness. And yes, even the horrors of war and devastation can be portrayed with signs of Hope, which helps us get through difficult times, so goodness will eventually prevail. Art must educate in a positive way and the artists have this very moral obligation before their viewers and God Himself, who gave them talent. “The works of art speak of their authors,” - said Pope John Paul II. In his letter to the Artists in 1999, His Holiness wrote, “To all who are passionately dedicated to the search for new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty so that through their creative work as artists they may offer these as gifts to the world,” and then His Holiness quotes from Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” A very Holy man, John Paul II was outspoken about the “culture of death,” warned about its consequences, and liked to quote the famous words of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Beauty will save the world!” Resurrection of Realism by Igor V. Babailov In the cataclysm of today’s debates and what is happening in the arts, I decided to create this work and my original composition depicted in this article. The angelic young child in the center represents the beauty, innocence and purity of Realistic art. Since the mid 1950s, it has been oppressed by shallow and weak art education and self-appointed art critics, kept for decades under the darkness of Modernism. In my painting, Modernism is represented by the ugly creatures from Picasso’s ‘iconic’ painting called “Guernica.” It portrays the moment when the film of darkness begins to heat up from beneath, like a volcano it bubbles and melts, and the divine light of Realism breaks through this captivity of cold darkness to breath the long awaited air and new life. I entitled this work “Resurrection of Realism.” In my lifetime professional career, I have created thousands of drawings and paintings and have painted more than 2000 portraits, which also included the official portraits of Presidents, Prime Ministers, British Royalty and three Popes for the Vatican. I particularly enjoy the Portrait genre because it celebrates the beauty of the most perfect of God’s creation, humanity. Perhaps this is why the worst assault on Beauty of Creation by Modernism is actually directed to breaking and mutilating the human form. I never give preference to which I prefer to paint more, adults or children. I just love people from all walks of life and love to find and accurately capture the unique characteristics of their outer and inner world. After all, it is our uniqueness that makes each of us beautiful, as we are all God’s children. I wish to leave my readers with a warning for the future. The more we surrender our God-given talents, skills and ability to re-create the Beauty of creation, the more we break the human form and distance ourselves from nature and the further away we go from God. We become disobedient to His laws and expectations and reverse, if you will, his original creation, reverting into the darkness and emptiness, to which He brought light, form and life. Modernism takes us in the opposite direction, into nothingness and reverses the process of Creation ‘from darkness to light’ and instead it takes us ‘from light to darkness.' Educating our youth and teaching them to recognize Beauty, promoting the classical art school of master skills and drawing from life, are the safeguards for common moral sense to prevail to keep the traditional values alive, so that the Beauty will indeed, save the world. About the Author: Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA (PhD), D.Litt (Hon.Causa), is the world-renowned American artist, Honorary American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757), invited speaker, and scholar of the sacred arts. His recent articles and interviews have been published in the National Catholic Register (USA), Zenit (Italy), Nasz Dziennik (Poland), The Times of Malta, to name a few. He is a recipient of The Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022) and the author of his recent book Legacy Portraits with an Introduction by Michael Novak, which accompanies his distinguished clients’ portraits in public, museum, corporate and private collections and libraries around the globe. For more information, visit: www.Babailov.com

In this article, portrait artist Igor Babailov speaks out on the need to return to traditional academic training for visual artists.  Featured in the "International Artist" Magazine Why we must keep the traditions alive Igor Babailov speaks out on the need and the opportunities to return to traditional academic training for visual artists. by Igor Babailov Traditional academic education has become a touchy subject in the contemporary debate over what an art education should be. In the second half of the 20th century, the majority of art schools rejected the traditional approach in their programs, creating not only confusion and chaos in students' minds, but a diminished appreciation of fine art in viewers' eyes. Going back through centuries of art history, generations of artists agreed that traditional studies were a "must" for every art student, encompassing all "views" and "visions", Art, just like a house, needs a strong foundation to prevent it from falling apart in the future, and an academic education provides that foundation. But in the last few decades, human anatomy and drawing - the fundamental necessities for developing true artistic skill - have been completely erased from the pages of students' books. These subjects have been replaced by canvases covered in dribbles and splatters of paint, or by simple geometric colored shapes, and then they are told to believe that these are somehow as great as the old masters. What could possibly be more destructive to a sound art education? In the past 10 years of my teaching career, with students from around the world, I have met many "victims" of such modern-day programs whose talents were imprisoned in the bush of "free expression.." I see them seeking the guiding light of strong traditional instruction wherever it's available. Outposts of tradition Fortunately, academic training has not been completely stamped out. I received a sound traditional education when I was a student at the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow, one of the very few old art institutions left in the world that has not been infected by the epidemic of "modernism". The Florence Academy of Art in Italy is another school of this nature, where I had the opportunity to instruct a figure painting class last summer. My good friend and a wonderful artist Allan R. Banks from Florida introduced me to this school. I was very happy to discover that the discipline of step-by-step academic curriculum is the main requirement for students of the Florence Academy. The Florence Academy of Art is a branch of the International Academy of Realist Art, and like the Surikov Academy, it is dedicated to the intensive study and teaching of the Old Masters' methods and techniques. It was founded in 1991 by Daniel Graves, who studied with Richard Lack in Minnesota and later came under the influence of Piertro Annigoni. Graves envisions the Academy as an institution with the potential to turn out a select group of highly skilled Realist painters. Here, internationally varied students can receive training from professional painters of different nationalities and educational backgrounds. The core of academic training Teaching at the Florence Academy was a great experience for me as well. Naturally, I was compairing it to the Surikov Academy, and the similarities in the educational approach were apparent. Both schools emphasize studying the human form, working from life and copying the Old Masters. Drawing and anatomy - the two most important subjects that every artist should know as well as the "two-times table" - are highlighted in both programs. In these courses, most of the hours are devoted to understanding and solving the problems of form and proportions, tonal (value) relationships and chiaroscuro. The students are also required to study composition, human anatomy, perspective and the technology of art materials - all of the ABC's for mastering an artist's skill. In drawing class, students learn the Old Masters' sight-size method of drawing: You stand in the same place in relation to the subject and to your absolutely upright easel, and draw the subject in the same size you see it. Working from a single vantage point marked on the floor, you take visual measurements by sighting along a plumb line. After this study, you step forward to work on the drawing from memory. The benefits to be gained from this exercise are enormous. It trains your visual memory, intensifies your ability to see proportions and foreshortenings, and coordinates your eye. As I always tell my students, the importance of good drawing skills cannot be overemphasized. In the words of Nicolas Poussin, "Drawing is the skeleton of what you do and color is its flash." Painting with the Masters Perhaps one of the most essential exercises in learning to paint is the copying of master works in the museums, a practice that's still maintained by both of these traditional academies. As a student at the Surikov Academy, I was fortunate to have access to such museums as the Pushkin Museum, the Russian Museum and the Hermitage. The students at the Florence Academy have similar opportunities, as the school is located in the center of the city, a short walk from the Duomo, the Accademia and the famous Uffizi Gallery. Academy students are given special permission to draw from originals at the Uffizi Gallery's Old Masters Drawing Room. Of course, copying involves more than expressing your feeling of the subject and reproducing it in your own words. To create a copy, you literally follow step by step after the master artist's procedure, getting to know his method, understanding his philosophy of the "stroke- treatment" and so on. Such practice allows you to understand how the great artists from the past translated three-dimensional form into two dimensions. The copying experience cannot be conveyed in just a few words. When your easel is only a couple of inches away from an original painting or drawing by, let's say, Rubens, it's as if you're having a dialogue with that master. This feeling is indescribable. And to have such an experience while immersed in history, surrounded by Renaissance sculptures, architecture and museum treasures - the whole atmosphere of Florence - is an incredible inspiration, generating a hunger for learning the secrets of the Old Masters. The academic experience The curriculum of the Florence Academy of Art is based on the tradition begun in Italy and developed in the academies of northern Europe, particularly in the major Realist ateliers of 19th-century Paris, best exemplified by that of Jean-Léon Gérôme. Similarly, the system of training in the Surikov Academy is based on the best traditions of Russian as well as European Realist schools, including French Academic tradition. Today's students in both the Surikov and Florence academies find themselves in the privileged situation of having models available almost all day, every day. As they work, they receive criticism that is continuous, precise, non-compromising and gauged to the individual progress. I believe that only by seeing the mistakes can you really learn. The Florence Academy of Art is continuing another tradition, in which artists are trained to master more than a single genre or medium, working in sculpture along with painting. Skill in drawing lies at the core of both these disciplines. In addition to the Drawing and Painting Program, the Florence Academy now offers two new programs of study - Sculpture and Intensive Drawing. There is hope As the spiral of modern art history continues to wind down, we can see the increasing demand for tradition in the visual arts. Although much damage to academic education has been done, there are more and more artists, organizations and schools around the world trying to bring the traditions back, to restore the values left to us by the Old Masters. Ultimately, the aim of such schools of Realist art should be to train artists who are able to draw to a very high standard; have a deep understanding and knowledge of anatomy, perspective and composition as foundations for great painting; have positive attitudes toward life and nature, and see it and express it in their works with uncompromising truth; and have a great knowledge of the Old Masters' methods and techniques, and apply them to their own works in order to preserve these methods for future generations of artists. Now, more than ever before, we Realist artists should join together in a worldwide effort to achieve these educational goals [for example, as found in the work of the American Society of Classical Realism (ASCR), The Art Renewal Center (ARC), the American Society of Portrait Artists (ASOPA) and other sound organizations, dedicated to a renewal in the visual arts]. Regardless of the geographical location and differences in "mother tongues", we have the same idols and the same principles. Our language of communication is our Art. Sharing it with each other and teaching it -- that is the key to the success and never-ending beauty and harmony of Realism. _________________________________________________________________________________________ International Artist Magazine is a Fine Art Magazine, published in Australia. This magazine has wide distribution and is read by serious and professional artists around the world. Mr. Babailov's article on Why we must keep the traditions alive is a direct result of his teaching at the Florence Academy of Fine Art, Italy. It is candid description of his personal views on Classical Realism and his experiences as a professional artist and teacher. The article has generated very positive response from its readers, worldwide. Why we must keep the traditions alive is featured on pages 18-20 of the February/March issue, 2000 of the International Artist Magazine. Igor Babailov's students, Figure Painting class Florence, Italy after K. Flavitsky's "Portrait of an Italian girl" by Igor Babailov Museum copy, Surikov Academy, 3rd year