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Portrait Art BOOKS on the life & illustrious career of portrait artist Igor Babailov - his portrait encounters with some of the greatest people of our times. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA BOOKS LEGACY PORTRAITS Hardcover, 240 pages INTRODUCTION by FOREWORD by Amb. Michael Novak Elizabeth Lev This new art book, LEGACY PORTRAITS , features Igor Babailov's 100-plus personal and professional encounters, while painting commissioned portraits of people from all walks of life, including Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Prime Ministers, Royalty, and the last three Popes for the Vatican. Official portrait of Pope Benedict XVI by Igor Babailov (selected by the Pope to represent his Papacy at the Vatican Splendors international museum tour) Collection: Vatican Museum, Rome. Buy Your Autographed Book Here Title Legacy Portraits Hardcover, 240 pages Author: Igor V. Babailov Price: $145. U.S. (Plus $14.95. Shipping & Handling - in the U.S.) (Plus $38.95 Shipping & Handling - Canada & Internationally) U.S. buyer Canada & International buyer Special Exclusive Feature (only on this website) : Autographed by the Artist with the personal dedication Please allow up to two weeks for delivery in the US and Canada, and 3-6 weeks for international deliveries. Books are non-refundable. Tiki Barber Prince Andrew The Duke of York General David Petraeus, U.S. Military Commander, CIA Director Pope Benedict XVI What people are saying "An impressive array of subjects and deft paint handling.” ~ Dr. James H. Billington, The Librarian of Congress “Most of us at the age of FOUR can not even spell ‘portrait’, and he already painted one.” ~ Joan Lewis – EWTN NEWS, Vatican Bureau Chief "His talent and ability to capture the likeness of his subjects so precisely, is truly inspirational to us all." ~ Isadore Sharp, Founder and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts "Marvelous portraits!" ~ Dr. Henry Kissinger "The Michelangelo of today!" ~ Frank Military, Legendary Music Publisher for Frank Sinatra, and others. GREATEST PORTRAIT MOMENTS by Igor V. Babailov Hardcover, 170 pages Life Portrait of Nelson Mandela in the book "Greatest Portrait Moments", featuring Igor Babailov's 80-plus portrait encounters with some of the greatest people of our time. This book is in stock. Please contact us to see if it is currently available THE WORLD OF IGOR BABAILOV by Vyacheslav Zakharov (in Russian) This book is in stock. Please contact us to see if it is currently available CONTACT US

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. This new art book, LEGACY PORTRAITS , features Igor Babailov's 100-plus personal and professional encounters, while painting commissioned portraits of people from all walks of life, including Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Prime Ministers, Royalty, and the last three Popes for 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 Artist Igor Babailov, Master Artist - Commissioned Portraits in Oil on Canvas - Government, Corporate, Judicial, Medical, Celebrity and Family - Nashville. Men UP Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA PORTRAITS of MEN Government, Corporate, Celebrity & Distinguished Private Commissions (selected commissioned portraits) "We chose you to paint the portrait, because there is no "formula" in your works, as they each capture individuality." ~ Joan E. Stein-Streilein, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School Pope Francis U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Babailov Corporate Portrait Unveilings Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Nikita - Private Collections SELECTED COMMISSIONED PORTRAITS CLICK on portraits below for more information and to see them CLOSER Pope Benedict XVI George Washington President George W. Bush Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. General David Petraeus Justice Joseph. P. Sullivan President Vladimir Putin Pope St. John Paul II Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Justice Clarence Thomas Pope Francis Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich Mayor Rudy Giuliani - New York City Patriarch Kirill Prime MinisterJean Chretien Prime Minister Mark Carney Prince Andrew Governor Yves Fortier Amb. Michael Novak Isadore Sharp - founder of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Byron Janis Reggie Jackson - baseball star Bergthor Endresen Col. Christoph Graf - Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Vatican James Gandolfini - actor Michel Perron Bob Costas - TV & sports personality Cardinal Christophe Pierre Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Thomas Monaghan - founder of Domino's Pizza & Ave Maria University Dr. Wright Pinson - CEO, Vandervilt Health System Judge Seth W. Norman Dr. Robert Kimura Paul Dinkel Mikhail Kalashnikov Stan Danford Tony Lo Bianco - actor Nelson Mandela Christopher Columbus - historic painting, group portrait Ted Lazenby Senator Michael Pitfield Tiki Barber - football star Lawrence Glaubinger Claude-Andre Piquette Regis Philbin - TV personality Slavko Acimovic Jack Reitman Andre Berard Akira Kurosawa - film director Frank Military - music publisher Hon. Michael Meighen - McGill University Billy G. Hudson, Ph.D David C. Hill Pete Quaife - The KINKS Dr. Frank Harrell Jr. Synergistics Industies Ltd. Michael Novak David Gibbs Hubert Powell Col. Derek Frost, Scottish Regiment Andrew C. Maracle, Sr. My friend, Valery Bobby Hull - hockey legend Dr. Luke Gregory Senator Herman Moore, North Carolina Vladislav Tretiak - hockey Legend Pavel Efremkin - Inventor Curtis Simic - Indiana University Dr. Robert Carver Bone Lanny Martin - Northwestern University Dr. J. Wayne Streilein Grant Gibbs John Ross Frederick Hart - sculptor Brendan Marrocco Dr. Cyril Geacintov Boomer Esiason - football star Peter Johnson Bucky Dent - baseball star Albert Lowenthal James Robertson - explorer, founder of Nashville & Tennessee John Bello - SoBe beverages Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn, LLC - New York City Dr. Allan Sniderman Gerald B. Cramer Edward J. Rosenthal Ronald H. McGlynn Mayor Neil Ellis Mayor of Picton Nicholas Eberstadt Mayor Al Piroth Stanley Bey Jules Plangiere - publisher Ben Tankard - Reality TV star Paul Doherty Other Portrait Galleries WOMEN GROUP PORTRAITS CHILDREN What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting PORTRAIT PROCEDURE The Master Approach

Official Portrait of Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. - by portrait artist Igor Babailov, Oil on Canvas, Collection: Supreme Court of the United States Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Supreme Court of the United States Portrait of Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. (Oil on Canvas, 50" x 42") Official collection: Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, DC Official collection: Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, DC Everyone who has seen my portrait has been very impressed, and my response has always been: “Igor is an artistic genius! And a really good person to boot.” Thanks for this wonderful work! Samuel A. Alito, Jr Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Life Portrait Study (graphite) in preparation for the grand portrait painting in oil, at the artist's National Arts Club in New York City CLARENCE THOMAS Official Portrait by Igor Babailov Supreme Court of the United States OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

New portrait of George Washington, created by portrait artist Igor Babailov, based on Washington's recognized most accurate likeness, Collection: Mount Vernon Museum Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits George Washington First President of the United States of America New Portrait Collection: George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum Inducted on the Independence Day, July 4th, 2009 "My Beloved Country!" ~ George Washington (28" x 22", Oil on Canvas) Original Portrait Concept & Composition by Igor V. Babailov "We will take great pride in displaying your work for generations to come!" ~ James C. Rees Executive Director, George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Museum, Mount Vernon, Virginia Igor Babailov used his mastery and professional expertise to transform this sculpted and most accurate likeness of George Washington into a realistic portrait painting. This NEW Portrait of George Washington was created by Igor Babailov, following his extensive historical research on the true likeness of George Washington. Consequently, this portrait painting was inspired by and based on Washington's likeness captured by the great French sculptor, Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) in George Washington's official statue, located at the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. Babailov's research also included Houdon's preliminary sculpture studies, such as Washington's bust and life mask which the sculptor did from life at Mount Vernon in 1785. When George Washington saw the sculpture, he said, "It is right that people in later generations could see my exact likeness," his friend Gen. Lafayette exclaimed, "That is the man himself!" and even Washington's portrait painter, Gilbert Stuart , agreed, "Houdon's bust comes first, and my head of him [Athenaeum portrait] next." Today, Houdon's sculpture is recognized by historians, as the most accurate likeness ever created of the First President. At work on the portrait of George Washington George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum Official induction of the Portrait into George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum July 4, 2009 Mount Vernon Lunch and Fellowship with Igor V. Babailov George Washington's Mount Vernon Presidential Award Coin Portrait of George Washington by Igor Babailov. Collection: Mount Vernon. Presented on behalf of George Washington by Douglas Bradburn, the President of Mount Vernon. The Sons of the American Revolution Official Collection: George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Portrait Master, Igor V. Babailov - Established Portrait Painting Procedure & Portrait Fees. Igor V. Babailov, Hon. RAA, KStA PORTRAIT PROCEDURE PLEASE NOTE: or a successful Portrait Painting, especially when photographic references may be used, it is VITAL for an artist to have the enriched experience and ability to work from life, particularly DRAW FROM LIFE. Such experience enables the artist to portray likeness with the most natural and life-like appearance which truly immortalizes the person, and creates the portrait far beyond its photographic references. ~ Igor V. Babailov, Hon. RAA F Prime Minister Brian Mulroney - official portrait sitting. U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito. In preparation for the official oil portrait. The Master Approach in Preparation for Portrait Painting Igor Babailov ' s life-time experience in portrait painting allows him to work comfortably from life or from photographs. When working from photographic references is necessary, in the instances when clients have busy schedules or with children for whom it is difficult to sit for extended periods, or for posthumous portraits and those commissioned as a surprise, Mr. Babailov applies his invaluable knowledge of painting from life, acquired through his life-time experience and unsurpassed formal 16 years of traditional fine art education (1974-1990) within the master-studios of the historic Russian Academy of Arts (founded in 1757 by Catherine the Great). The initial meeting with the client usually takes two and a half hours and is scheduled at the artist’s studio or the client’s location. At this meeting, the overall idea, size and the wall location where the portrait will be displayed are discussed, and Babailov will take up to 300-plus photographic references of the subject, to be used in the creation of the portrait. Since one of the MOST IMPORTANT steps in any Master's Portrait Procedure is DRAWING FROM LIFE , in preparation for painting, Igor Babailov masterfully demonstrates his skill in Drawing as well. "If one can Draw from life, one can always Paint !" ~ Pietro Annigoni, Royal Portrait Painter The Portrait Procedure in the Best Traditions of Portraiture Igor Babailov, Hon. RAA is one of the very few artists today who can comfortably DRAW from LIFE, not just from photographs. Thus, his Portrait Painting Procedure resembles precisely those of the Great Masters of Portraiture, such as Ilya Repin and John Singer Sargent , because it begins with DRAWING his portrait subjects from LIFE first, a vital step in preparation for portrait painting . Just like the Masters of the past, in these studies, Igor Babailov captures impeccable likeness, character and personality in a matter of minutes and seconds, regardless of the sitter's age. This requires the artist's independence from the camera and ability to DRAW in the timeless tradition of Portraiture, entirely from Life, which today is a fundamental challenge for many painters. SAMPLES of Portrait Drawings from LIFE MORE Drawing Studies from LIFE The Value of Drawing Studies from LIFE In these DRAWING STUDIES, the artist assumes the challenge of the monochromatic drawing method which, unlike a color painting sketch, requires 100% accuracy in tonal values and proportions and does not forgive mistakes in likeness! They say: "Drawing never fails, but often the artist does", this is why the vast majority of today's portrait painters do not draw from life in front of their clients. However, it's the DRAWING studies from LIFE that have been recognized by generations of Portrait Masters, as the VITAL STEP in preparation for a portrait painting. It provides the immense opportunity to ultimately understand all the nuances of the subject's features and likeness, in order to get a deeper sense of beautiful uniqueness, character and personality, in direct communication with the person (please see What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting ). Igor Babailov's life-time experience and years of formal academic training allow him to complete each finely detailed DRAWING STUDY from life within 30 minutes . At the same time, clients have the opportunity to see the artist in 'action' and his skill in capturing a full of character life-likeness, right on the spot, within a brief period of time, with only a black & white pencil. After all, "if one can draw from life [NOT from photos!], one can always paint", said master portrait painter Pietro Annigoni . After the initial meeting, Mr. Babailov provides the client with several original, artistic and hand-created compositional master-studies, to determine the best compositional setting of the figure in the background, most suitable for the portrait. Once the decision on the choice of composition is made, the artist professionally prepares the museum quality appropriate weight canvas to start painting the actual portrait. Any photos provided by the client will be returned upon portrait completion. A 40%-50% deposit (the amount of deposit is determined by the size of the portrait) is required upon the signing of the Portrait Agreement and before the work begins. Mr. Babailov travels extensively to the schedule and convenience of his portrait client’s location and caters to a distinguished professional clientele, in the United States, Canada and around the world. A NOTE for Portrait Clients and their Interior Designers Traditionally and historically, a great portrait painting stands on its own - it is more than a typical decorative item that fits a particular interior style, or caters to a color trend / fashion of a moment in time, because the great portrait painting is timeless and it passes onto children and their children and onto future generations in the family. The great portrait painting also stands far beyond photography, because it is NOT a copy of a split second photographic moment of a physical appearance, but it captures the inner world of the person. Unlike photographs which visibly fade and deteriorate in just a couple of decades, it takes 450 years for oil paint to dry completely, making a portrait painting truly a Legacy portrait that lasts forever. Fees Igor Babailov's Fees are quoted in U.S. Dollars and available upon request at Info@Babailov.com Prices are determined by the portrait size, number of people and medium used. Available traditional portrait mediums are: Oil on Canvas /Linen, Charcoal /Sepia /Graphite and Pastel. Portraits of Men Family and Children Portraits of Women What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting CLICK Testimonials CONTACT US

Portrait Master, Igor Babailov, reveals What You Need To Know When Commissioning a Portrait Painting - SEVEN Essentials to Commissioning a Portrait Painting. What You Need To Know When Commissioning a Portrait Painting by Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, MFA( PhD), KStA, D.Litt.(Hon.Causa) A NOTE for Portrait Clients and their Interior Designers Traditionally and historically, a great portrait painting stands on its own - it is not a decorative item that fits a particular interior style, or caters to a color trend / fashion of a moment in time, because the great portrait painting is timeless and it passes onto children and their children and onto future generations in the family. The great portrait painting also stands far beyond photography, because it is NOT a copy of a split second photographic moment of a physical appearance, but it captures the inner world of the person. Unlike photographs which visibly fade and deteriorate in just a couple of decades, it takes 450 years for oil paint to dry completely, making a portrait painting truly a Legacy portrait that lasts forever. here are two key questions everyone would ask when searching for a portrait artist: Who that artist would be? and How much would it cost? T Naturally, commissioning a portrait painting would be something we wouldn't consider to do often, and perhaps once in a lifetime. Therefore, making the right decision today will be what we and our future generations will treasure and live with tomorrow. Please allow me to share with you my professional knowledge and expertise based on the philosophy and professional approach of the Masters of Portraiture, such as Ilya Repin , John Singer Sargent and Valentin Serov , as well as my own highest Academic art education and life-time experience in portraiture; particularly in painting portraits for commission. by Ilya Repin About Portraiture and Higher Standards Artists have painted portraits for centuries, often for commission, and often not. Regardless of how they were done, the artist’s skill would have been looked at first. As the most perfect creation, the Human Form was the main focus of studies at the old Academies. It has been known throughout generations of artists that, “if you knew how to draw the human form, particularly the human portrait, you could draw anything.” All academic studies were based on working with life-models, and the artists drew and painted only from life or from their imagination. Even when photography was already invented, the Artists still learned the Anatomy and the laws of Perspective. They exercised their Visual memory and applied their skills of working from life to create life-like convincing multi-figurative compositions and group portraits. In the past several decades, with the boom of commercialism and drastic changes in Art education, when Drawing and Human Anatomy were completely erased from the curriculum of Fine Art programs, portraiture became something of a commercial venture, and quite often today it is nothing more, but a copy of a photograph, which does not require the Master knowledge, Creativity, Imagination or any in-depth Academic training. Although in the history of art, portraiture has always been recognized by Master painters as the MOST challenging genre in visual arts, today there are more artists call themselves 'portrait painters', than ever before... That is, because many of them simply copy photos without having to test their skills to the challenge of working from life. It would be interesting to imagine just how many of these artists would continue to paint portraits if the camera and photography would not be available to them. Consider this. When we were school children in kindergarten, we copied images from books, comics strips, etc. It really did not require much skill at all to copy a ready made image or a photograph. But in the context of painting portraits professionally in the tradition of the Masters, high artistic skills and ability to realistically create (not just to copy pictures)must be the uncompromising criteria for every "professional" portrait painter! Fortunately, the values of traditional art education are eternal. Currently, the art world experiences an important transition and the notable art academies have already started the reconstruction of their academic curriculum to teach those traditional values to their students again. However, the consequences of promoting art, which doesn’t require a skill of drawing or anatomical knowledge, are still present, and sadly even in portraiture. Therefore, when selecting an artist, consider every aspect including the portrait process. You will be quite surprised to learn just how many artists today cannot draw with a free hand and trained eye, but simply copy/ grid a photograph (do not confuse it with the Masters' method of transferring their own preliminary drawings onto large canvases and murals). Some of today's artists even use projectors, projecting photos on canvas and tracing them. How about painting over the photographs? Believe it or not, that happens too…. by John Singer Sargent The Seven Essentials #1. Realism vs Photo-Realism ( know the difference ) These days even artists are often confused about Realism versus Photo-Realism, what is what? It’s really not that complicated. Photo-Realism is the copying of a photograph. And what is a photograph? A photographic image is only a second of a life time: “Say cheese.. and you’ll freeze.” So, it may capture the moment, but it may not capture the person. Very often we hear: “I don’t like to be photographed!” or “I’m not very photogenic!”... Of course, YOU ARE. That is what the camera, the heartless tool, does – it takes everything, what is necessary and what is not. This is where the difference between the camera and the artist comes in to play, because the ARTIST CAN SELECT. Realism goes f ar beyond photography. Through the harmony of tonal and color values it portrays the subject in the appropriate setting, where everything contributes to the individuality and character of the person, and nothing competes with it or detracts from it. The details on the Realistic portrait are not photographically copied, but portrayed selectively, providing the life-like and convincing image of the person. Of course, to be able to do so, the artist must possess a certain skill, which can only be acquired by the knowledge and the expertise of working from life. Because of the popularity of photography and having no other comparison, the innocent viewer can comment about the strong realistic painting: “It is as good as a photograph!" It has been noticed that such a comment never occurs, if the person actually sits for the portrait, participates and experiences the whole portrait process, and realizes that there was no photography involved and the outstanding realistic likeness can be achieved directly from life with a free hand. That is exactly, what in the old days made people appreciate artists. The artist was recognized as somebody who could do something what nobody else could do! Of course today, the vision and meaning of art have changed, but the necessity of the skill required to create portraits in the best traditions of Classical Realism, remains constant and obvious. Leah (oil) by Igor Babailov #2. The Ability to Draw from Life This is where the true artistic skill is revealed! Again, these days you may hear from some artists: “I paint, but I would rather not draw.” .. Why?.. Because any weakness the artist may have in portraying proportions or tonal values or in the anatomy details, can easily be exposed in black & white drawing. In painting however, they may get away with those mistakes, as the color or "painterly" brush strokes can distract the viewer's eye from those mistakes. As an excuse not to draw in front of a client, such artists may even try to undermine the importance of drawing, saying that to draw would be a low thing to do for their "professional level". This is total nonsense! The curriculum of any true Academic school in all times was always based on perfecting the skill of drawing, as a fundamental for strong painting. That would remain to be the goal of any Master painter throughout their professional career. The famous 17th Century Nicolas Poussin said: “Drawing is the skeleton of painting, the color is its flesh.” The most contemporary American artist Norman Rockwell stated: "You build the house before you paint it." If you can draw, you will always be able to paint. It has been recognized by generations of artists, that Drawing is the core of the artists' strength, especially in portraiture. As part of the teachings of the Masters, the ability to draw and paint from LIFE is and will always be a sign of the true fundamental skill of an artist. However, the popularity of photography has created, if you will, “photocopy artists”, who would only copy photographs which is a very basic level of artistry to begin with. These artists present such copies of photographs as if they were Fine Art portraits, when in fact, they are only representative of a split second in a person's lifetime. PLEASE NOTE: Portrait study with Gen. David Petraeus, US Military Commander and CIA Director If photographs are used in painting a portrait, it would certainly be to your advantage to find out whether or not the artist has a greater skill than just copying photos. The skill in question is the ability to work from life, which enables the artist to portray the likeness with the most natural and life-like appearance, truly immortalizing the person and creating the portrait, which goes far beyond its photographic references. To ascertain the presence of this vital skill for a successful portrait painting, you might wish to consider the following: a simple DRAWING TEST. DRAWING TEST: Ask the artist to draw a black & white sketch of you, your child or whomever the portrait subject is - on the spot, and of course from life. That could be done simply on white paper with a graphite pencil right in front of you. Do not worry, it won't take long. The experienced and skilled Artist should be able to complete a life-like and a full of character sketch within 30 minutes. Remember, just like all the Masters of the past, the pro will always be proud to demonstrate their skill in drawing from life without any hesitation. The 20th century master portrait artist Pietro Annigon i once said: "If one can draw, one can always paint". #3. Experience Another way to be assured of the artist’s qualifications and the artistic credentials is to see more samples of their work, than only those shown in the artist’s portfolio. That could also prevent you from any surprises and an Oops! situation later on. As a preliminary portrait stage and part of the artist's portrait procedure, there maybe a life-study involved. Whether it is drawing or painting, skilled artists usually deliver a faster result without jeopardizing quality, simply because they do not waste their time on fixing mistakes. Below is an approximate time which experienced and skilled Fine Artists will require to complete portrait studies entirely from life in different mediums, relatively fast, yet full of likeness and fine details. DETAILED portrait studies from life by an experienced artist Medium Time required Graphite Pencil Sketch (14"x11") - up to 30 min. Pastel Portrait Study (20"x16") - approx. 1.5 - 2 hrs. Oil Portrait Study (20"x16") - approx. 2.5 hrs. OIL GRAPHITE PASTEL: #4. Academic Education It is as important and fundamental in Realistic art as the alphabet is to learn a language! Figure Drawings from Life Life Models Master Copies in museums As I mentioned earlier, in the past several decades (since about 1960-s) classical art education was basically ignored in many art schools. As a result, after completing art programs, graduates could not really draw, because the in-depth Renaissance teaching methods were not taught. This is why, university art degrees, along with their titles, presented in the artists's portfolios since that time, were often not considered by others to be an important criteria of the artists' credentials. Expertise in Human Anatomy Fortunately a handful of accredited schools remained, providing high quality art education and focusing not only on teaching how to "express emotions", but on giving students the vital Drawing skills. Because of this and due to the Realist Movement and the current return to traditional values in visual art, historical appreciation for Fine Art Degrees is finally coming back.. A standard university art degree, offered by fine art education in 'studio arts', is BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts). The HIGHEST DEGREE one can earn in visual art education is the MFA degree, Master of Fine Arts, equivalent to the Ph.D. and E.D. in other fields, please read here . ALL the greatest Masters of all times regarded the Traditional Academic training as indispensable in the development of highest artistic and professional skills - the higher the TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC education, the higher the competence, credentials and credibility of the artist. A few examples of the academic works by Igor Babailov, when he was an art student Throughout the centuries, the artists' main goal was to study in the highly acclaimed accredited traditional Academies of Art, or at least under the Master(s), who graduated from such Academies.That was to obtain the highest possible knowledge of Human Anatomy, Perspective, Master Methods of Drawing and Painting from life. Only after successfully completing these studies, could they pursue a professional career in figurative art including, of course, Portraiture. In proper traditional art education, copying of photographs was never acceptable and always considered cheating. Nowdays, due to the lower standards, if the above educational credentials are missing, they are usually replaced by copying / tracing photographs and pandering to the public with superficial tricks. Portrait Drawings from Life #5. Budget and Investment Price comparison is naturally a priority consideration, but make sure that you compare 'apples to apples' ! Since having a portrait painted is usually a once in a lifetime experience, every credential should be considered, including the artist's ability to work from life. If you're thinking to hire an artist to copy a ready-made image of a photograph, you may as well just enlarge that photo and save yourself a lot of money... However, remember: photographs don't last, as they start fading immediately after they are taken..... If you are thinking of a true luxurious Fine Art Portrait in the tradition of the Masters, to pass it on to your descendants and future generations, look beyond the price tag, as in the long run our descendants are going to inherit what we purchased for them. So why not go for the best! Please keep in mind though, because of today's common unawareness of what the portrait painting should be, a 'photocopy artist' may ask almost as high price for a portrait as the skilled Artists would. Once again, the way to be assured in the true qualifications of 'your' artist would be by offering the DRAWING TEST (please see Essential #2). It is known that with time, the works of Fine Ar t * (please see below) increase in value, and this is naturally applied to portrait painting ** (please see below). For your information, ninety percent (90%) of the Metropolitan Museum collection are life-painted commissioned portraits. If the artists' officially commissioned portraits include those of business and political leaders and celebrities, whose names stay in history, the artists' names who officially painted them go into history with their subjects. The value of such artists’ works are guaranteed to be on the higher level at any time and in the future. #6. Painting Hands Another way to asses the quality of work you're possibly interested in, is to observe the artist’s ability to paint hands. It has been recognized by generations of artists to be even more challenging than painting the portrait itself. The Masters referred to hands as "the second portrait." Given their impeccable knowledge of Human Anatomy and not to mention that they painted only from life, the hands in their portrait paintings look life-like just as the heads do. Strikingly, many of today's artists experience difficulty with painting hands even when they are copying photographs. So once again, simply look at the larger number of the portrait samples where the hands are included and then listen to your heart. #7. Listening to your heart Regardless of your art education, or what your occupation is, and whether or not your neighbor had a portrait painted by the same artist, you will feel intuitively, if there is anything wrong with the portrait samples you are looking at. That should be the signal for you to just look more thoroughly at things, so you would avoid making a costly and irreversible mistake. Artists with the lack of proper education and experience of working from life, totally depend on the camera and copy whatever is visible on the photograph, without knowing what’s underneath. As a result, instead of creating the in-depth and full of character portrait, they draw a mask with no soul. Unlike the amateurs, the Pros, by bringing their experience of working from Life, improve on the reality of the camera, filling in the one element missing: the Soul. Photography was a great invention and today it often assists in creating commissioned portraits, both on the client side and for the artist. However, because of its general popularity, photographic image became more than a reference point and quite often even used as a subject for copying and tracing, which sadly simplifies the true essence of fine art portraiture and in reality, shallows its meaning. Just like The Masters of the past, I don't believe in "short cuts", especially in portraiture, as it is a form of art, which represents the highest form of The Creation, us. I also have a great admiration for those contemporary artists realists, who chose not a path of least resistance, but to explore and study the expertise of the traditional school, the most challenging and the only school, which teaches you to draw and empowers the artist with the skills of the Masters. If you have read up to this point, you are one of the many people interested in knowing more about the fine art of portraiture and its timeless values which will always exist, regardless of new movements in art. To Summarize, commissioning a Portrait is a huge responsibility you undertake for the generations to come. Therefore, I believe you deserve to have this necessary fundamental knowledge about: the differences between photographic images and realistic portrait paintings the skill of drawing freehand when photographs are used, developing a portrait from a number of references, vs just copying a single photo the artist's ability to work from life and the value of that experience in painting successful portraits All of these factors and information above may assist you greatly in your selection process and efforts in finding your artist, for you and the future generations to benefit. Igor V. Babailov, Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) painted his first portrait at the age of four and began his formal classical art education at nine (1974-1990). Having studied with leading Masters of painting and drawing at the Surikov Academy of the Russian Academy of Arts (est. 1757), he received the Master of Fine Arts Degree (MFA) and In the direct ‘teacher-student’ lineage of the Russian Academy, Babailov is a third generation student of the world-famous artists Ilya Repin and Valentin Serov. * Traditionally, "Fine Art" term is referred to the form of art, created by the artist's Talent and the human Skill. This obviously doesn't include photography, which is produced by a camera. ( I.V.B.) According to scientific research, it takes 450 years for Oil paint (Oil paintings) to dry completely, this is why today the beautiful Renaissance paintings look as 'fresh' as if they were painted yesterday. A photograph, on the other hand, starts to deteriorate IMMEDIATELY upon it is taken, and fades visibly in 30 - 50 years. ** © The essay herein is the intellectual property of Igor V. Babailov and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from Igor V. Babailov. Any attempt to plagiarize the written material of this page will violate the international community's laws and ethics. CONTACT US

Portrait Artist Igor Babailov: About, Biography, Portrait Expertise, Doctoral degrees, Official Portrait Painting Unveilings, his Nobility, Master Lineage, Awards & Honors Anchor 1 About the Artist UP RU IGOR V. BABAILOV , Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA (Ph.D), D.Litt. (Hon.Causa) For Media Inquiries ~ Short Bio ABOUT THE ARTIST IGOR V. BABAILOV , Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA(Ph.D), D.Litt.(Hon.Causa) , world-renowned portrait and figurative artist, recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022), Honorary American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757), Knighted Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne (est.1735), scholar and spokesperson for the traditional school of fine art, was born on February 9, 1965 in the city of Glazov, Udmurt Republic of Russia, into a family of academia. His father, V alery Babailov , was a portrait and landscape painter, and co-founded the very first preparatory fine art school in Glazov. He was also poet and composer. Igor's mother, Rosa Kudasheva Babailova, was an acclaimed and award-winning teacher of biology & chemistry. In the family of cultured and academic intelligentsia, Igor and his brother Vladislav, grew up in an environment of high professional ethics and inspired creativity. Art Career - The Beginning Igor painted his first portrait at the age of four (4). Child prodigy, he began his formal fine art education at the age of nine (9) at the preparatory art school. At the age of thirteen (13), he entered into a nationwide competition of thousands of applicants, to compete for the only opening at the most prestigious and one of only two schools of its kind in the world, the school for gifted children, specialized in classical visual art education - Moscow Secondary School of Fine Arts (later renamed The Moscow State Academic Art Lyceum under the Russian Academy of Arts). Upon strict and disciplined art exams for twenty five pre-selected children, Igor Babailov was honored to be the one to fill that special vacancy and was accepted into the school, where four years later he graduated with honors. High Art Education - The Academy Having been awarded a rare recommendation by the art professors of the Art Lyceum and after successfully completing nine entry exams, Babailov was accepted into the world acclaimed Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute (aka Surikov Academy) representing the Russian Academy of Arts, est.1757, which taught and gave the world many outstanding Masters, including the great American artist Whistler . "Portrait of a Gypsy man" Painting by Valery Babailov, Igor Babailov's father by Valentin Serov by Ilya Repin Famous Teachers Since the early age in his formal academic education, Igor Babailov studied under some of the finest artists in art history, and belongs to the DIRECT Academic Lineage of world-famous portrait painters, Serov and R epin . Babailov's fine art education (1974 -1990), rooted in the curriculum of Classical Realism, especially contributed to his unparalleled skill in academic drawing (or drawing from life ) , which today is a fundamental challenge for many painters. Major Portrait Commissions Igor Babailov is one of the most sought after portrait artists of the historic academic tradition. Deemed Living Master by the Art Renewal Center and recipient of national and international awards and honors, his commissioned portraits of world leaders, celebrities and distinguished individuals are in official public, private, corporate and museum collections, including those of: President George W. Bush (Bush Presidential Library), former First Lady Hillary R. Clinton (Clinton Presidential Library); U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito (Supreme Court of the United States); General David Petraeus - United States Army Commander and CIA Director (West Point Museum), historic new portrait of George Washington (George Washington’s Mount Vernon Museum); Pope Francis (Vatican), Pope Benedict XVI (Vatican, Rome), Pope St. John Paul II (Vatican, Castelgandolfo); Nelson Mandela (Presidential Collection, SA); Prince Andrew The Duke of York (Buckingham Palace, London); President Vladimir Putin of Russia (The Kremlin); Justice Joseph P. Sullivan (Supreme Court of New York); Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York (Giuliani Partners, NYC); Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Kirill (Moscow Patriarchate); Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Parliament Hill, Canada); Prime Minister Jean Chretien (Collection of POWER Corporation.); Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Vatican); Gov. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England ; Canadian Senator Michael Pitfield ; Inventor of AK-47 Mikhail Kalashnikov ; TV personality Regis Philbin ; actor James Gandolfini ; Isadore Sharp , Founder & CEO (Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts); Dr. Wayne Streilein (Harvard University); pianist Byron Janis and Maria Cooper Janis , (daughter of film star Gary Cooper); Ted Lazenby (The Board, Kennedy Center, by Presidential Appointment); hockey legends Bobby Hull and Vladislav Tretiak , American football stars Boomer Esiason and Tiki Barber ; Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson , world-renowned Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa (Steven Spielberg’s Starlight Starbright Foundation, Japan) and many others . Vatican Splendors museum tour In 2010, Vatican Curator and scholar of Michelangelo, Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli, acknowledged Igor Babailov as Maestro when his Vatican portrait of Pope Benedict XVI was selected by the Pope for the Vatican Splendors international museum tour. Babailov was honored to be the only living artist in the exhibition, as his papal portrait hung alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Great Masters of the Renaissance. Multi-Figure Grand-Scale Paintings The ability to create multi-figure murals is traditionally recognized as the highest achievement of the artistic expertise. Besides being a prolific portraitist, Mr. Babailov’s uniqueness as an artist is also evident in his large-scale Old Master-like compositions such as the historical painting, “For God, Gold and Glory” , depicting the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas ( permanently featured in the Peruvian Encyclopedia Empresa Editora Il Comercio, S.A.). His multi-figured composition “Be Not Afraid” , the official historic portrait of Pope John Paul II, now a Saint, was commissioned in commemoration of the World Youth Days. It is in the Collection of the Vatican Museum and by the personal decree of the late Pope, it is displayed in Castel Gandolfo, the Papal summer residence. His epic painting “MERCY - Who has to suffer…and Why?” , portraying a crowd of diverse children of various cultural and religious backgrounds together, is currently underway and it is dedicated to the timeless issue of ongoing global humanitarian disasters (many of which are man-made) and to its innocent victims, children. Member of the National Arts Club, in 1996 he organized the very First Official delegation visit of American artists to post-Soviet Russia and has taught at the Florence Academy of Art, Italy in 1999. For Gold, God and Glory CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Fine Art Education Igor Babailov's fine art education (1974-1990) belongs to the acclaimed Russian-European Academic school of art. In the Direct Teacher-Student Academic Lineage of the Academy he is a third generation student of Russian Masters: Repin, Serov, Korovin, Arkhipov and Favorskiy. They taught Kulikov, Yuon, Kardovskiy, Grabar, Deineka, S.Gerasimov, Korin - world-renowned artists, who taught Mr. Babailov's professors. Igor Babailov studied directly under Zabelin, Danilichev, Chirkov, Andriaka, M.Kugach, O.Pavlov, Valery Babailov, Shatskiy, Sherbakov, Zavgorodniy, Gorbunov, legendary art historian Mikhail Alpatov and other distinguished artists and professors of Fine Art. Human Anatomy (The Anatomical Studies of the Human Form, as the fundamental of the most challenging form in visual art). The Laws of Perspective Composition: The Master Rules Studio Life Painting: Still-life, Cast, Portrait, Torso, Nude Figure, Clothed Figure, Group Modelsetting, concepts of colors and tonal values Studio Life Drawing: Still-life, Cast, Portrait, Torso, Nude Figure, Clothed Figure, Croup Model setting, exercises in anatomy, proportions, chiaroscuro. Plein-Air Practice (national and international travels, outdoor Portraits, Landscapes, etc. all from life) Technology of Painting and Painting Materials (studied under professor O.B. Pavlov, great-grandson of the 19th century famous Russian landscape painter Alexei Savrasov. Studies of the Masters' Techniques Official Museum Copies (official permission from the Russian Ministry of Culture was obtained to make identical copies from the original works of art in major museum collections ) World Art History: Painting , Sculpture, Architecture from Pre-historic Art to Contemporary Curriculum of studies included intensive training in: ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS 2019 - Doctor of Literary Letters (Honoris Causa) - Awarded by Cumberland University, USA (Founded in 1842) 2012 - Honorary Academician of Painting - Elected by the Russian Academy of Arts (est. 1757) 1983 - 1990 Master of Fine Arts Degree - MFA / official Ph.D . equivalent in the U.S. - CAA, NASAD. Surikov State Academic Art Institute (a.k.a. Surikov Academy of Fine Arts) of the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts (est.1757). Painting Studios of A.Danilichev and V.N. Zabelin . 1979 - 1983 Fine Arts Diploma and High School Diploma, Moscow Academic Lyceum of Arts under the Russian Academy of Arts. (Honors graduate, received Professors' Recommendation to the Surikov Academy) 1974 - 1978 Fine Arts Certificate and Diploma, Preparatory School of Fine Art, Glazov, Russia (Honors graduate). AWARDS and HONORS AWARDS and HONORS (selected list) 2023 Official Vatican Pontifical Swiss Guard Seal - presented by Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Col. Christoph Graf - Vatican, Rome 2022 Congressional Record - Tribute to Igor Babailov - 07.13.2022, Washington, DC 2022 Awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor that ranks as one of the most prestigious awards in America. 2020 Granted Hereditary Nobility and official Coat of Arms by Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria, Head of The House of Romanov 2019 Distinguished Fellow - The Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 2019 Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Cumberland University (USA). 2018 Awarded the Presidential Award on behalf of President George Washington, by the President of Mount Vernon Museum, Mount Vernon, VA 2017 Knighted Chevalier of the Order of Saint Anne. (Malta, 2017) 2016 Awarded the title of Academician by the International Academy of Culture and Art 2016 Award of Apreciation -"The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution" 2015 Official Unveiling of the Portrait of Pope Francis . 2015 Official State Recognition by the TN Senate and Governor 2012 Elected Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) 2012 Awarded State Title "Honored Artist of Udmurt Republic", by the President (Governor) of Udmurtia. 2012 Official Portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Russia unveiled at the historic Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow 2010-2011 Igor Babailov's Vatican Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI selected by the Pope for the Vatican Splendors museum tour, exhibited alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto, Vasari and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2011 ~ Official Major League Baseball ~ Award for Portraiture, Presented at Yankee Stadium, New York City 2010 Commemorative Medal from the Archdiocese of St.Louis, MO presented by Archbishop R. Carlson 2009 NEW portrait of George Washington inducted into the George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum collection, Mount Vernon, Virginia 2009 Awarded Order "Service to Art" ("The Golden Star") by the International Academy of Culture and Art 2009 General David H. Petraeus Award "For Excellence", awarded by U.S. General David H. Petraeus 2006 Honored by the Vatican with the special sitting with Pope Benedict XVI for the Papal Portrait. 2005 Pontifical Medal of Pope John Paul II, presented by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Ventura 2004 Portrait of Pope John Paul II, now a Saint, by the personal decree of Pope John Paul II, is displayed in Castel Gandolfo, Vatican 2004 The painting "For God, Gold and Glory" is permanently included in the Peruvian Encyclopedia, Empresa Editora Il Comercio,S.A 2003 Honorary Member, Drawing Society of Canada 2002 Honored with the title "Living Master" by the Art Renewal Center (ARC) 2001 Honorable Mention – Portrait Competition, International Artist Magazine, Australia 1999 Honorable Mention – Portrait Competition, The Artists Magazine, U.S.A. 1997 The Merit Award – “Realism '97 International Art Competition, Parkersburg, WV 1994 Grand Prize Winner – American Society of Portrait Artists Competition 1993 Award “For Outstanding Achievement in Portrait Painting” – National Portrait Seminar and American Artist Magazine 1992 Selected to create a Cover for the book "From East to West" 1990 Selected by the National Academic Committee to be one of the few students to represent the Russian Academic school in the Exhibition in Scotland. Participants included the graduates of the Surikov Academy, the Repin Academy and the Stroganov Art Institute. 1989 First Prize Winner – Annual All-students Graphic Works Competition, Surikov Academy of Fine Arts 1989 Selected to draw the portraits of Russian Celebrities, such as: A.Rosenbaum, I.Resnik, L.Dolina, E.Shifrin, B.Moiseev, to name a few. 1988 Surikov Academy presents Babailov's academic drawing to Vietnam Academy of Art, to symbolize the friendship between two Academies. 1983 Honors Graduate, Surikov College of Fine Art. Professors’ Recommendation for special admition to the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts. 1981 Top Prize Award for portrait "Egorka" in the prestigious Soviet Art Colleges' National Competition, judged and presented by the celebrated Russian Artist Fyodor P. Reshetnikov. 1979 Selected out of thousands in the Nation-wide competition for the only vacancy at the prestigious Surikov College of Fine Art in Moscow. LECTURED & DEMONSTRATED (selected list) Present The Russian-American Academy of Art / The Igor Babailov Institute of Realism – Master Workshops 2019 - 2016 Cumberland University 2019 - 2018 Catholic University of America - Washington, DC 2018 International Cultural Forum - St.Petersburg, Russia 2018 Legatus Club - Washington, DC Chapter 2018 George Washington's Mount Vernon - Fellowship with Igor Babailov 2017 Rotary Club (Lebanon, TN; Brentwood, TN) 2016 The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution 2015 Vanderbilt University 2014 Pope John Paul II High School, 500+ lecture attendance, Tennessee 2012-2013 Legacy High School (for challenging children), New York City 2011 St. Thomas Aquinas College, Nashville, TN 2010 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 2010 Monmouth University, New Jersey 2009 Ave Maria University - Master Workshop, Lecture, Demo 2009 Portrait Society of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 2009 Dominican Sisters, the Congregation of St.Cecilia, Nashville, TN 2006-2010 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Painting Demonstration & Lecture, critiques) 2005 Tennessee Arts Academy, Belmont University (Lecture) 2005 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Painting Demonstration & Lecture) 2004 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Demonstations, Workshop & Judging of the Portrait Show with Dr. Marcus Burke, Curator, Museum, Hispanic Society of America, New York City) 2003 Bellport Art council, Long Island, NY (Master Workshop / Demonstration) 2002 Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (Stage Portrait Demonstration, Canadian Society of Portrait Artists Festival) 2000 Preparatory Art College, Glazov, Russia, (“Mastering yourself” Lecture) 1999 Florence Academy of Art - Florence, Italy (Instructor of Figure Painting in Oil, Summer Program) The International attendance of students included the art students from Four Continents. 1999 Cincinnati Art Club, 2nd oldest Art Club in the USA (Demonstration for at least 100 people & a Master Workshop) 1999 Private instruction to Sayaka Yamaguchi, the student from Tokyo, Japan 1999 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1997 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1996 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1995 American Society of Portrait Artists – USA (Lecture/Painting Presentation) 1994 Ontario College of Art - Canada (Lecture & Slides Presentation) 1990 -1993 Master Workshops, Loyalist College, Ontario SELECTED LIST OF PRESENTATIONS & EXHIBITIONS 2025. Portrait of legendary American pianist Byron Janis officially inducted into Yale School of Music, Yale University, New Haven, CT. 2024 Official portrait of Justice Clarence Thomas, unveiled to the clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington, DC 2023 Official portrait of Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, officially unveiled at the Vatican 2022. Official U.S. Supreme Court portrait of Justice Samuel A. Alito, Washington, DC 2020 Portrait of Judge Seth W. Norman - official unveiling, Nashville, TN. 2019 Portrait of HIH Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich - official unveiling, Madrid, Spain. 2018 George Washington's Mount Vernon - Fellowship with Igor Babailov 2017 Painting presentation at the San Anton Presidential Palace, Republic of Malta 2016 Multi-figurative painting "CREDO" unveiled at the National Shrine of St. John Paul II, Washington, DC 2016 Exhibition in Malta, International Academy of Culture and Art 2015-2016 Igor Babailov's Vatican Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, exhibited in the "Vatican Splendors" North American exhibit, alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2016 The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, CA - Vatican Splendors 2015 The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA - Vatican Splendors 2015 Official Unveiling of the Portrait of Pope Francis 2014 Portrait unveiling - Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England 2013 Portrait of His Royal Highness Prince Andrew The Duke of York, unveiled. 2012 Official Portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Russia unveiled at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow 2010-2011 Igor Babailov's Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, exhibited in the "Vatican Splendors" North American exhibition, alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2010 Portrait presentation to Gen. David Petraeus - AEI, Irving Kristol Award presentation event 2010 Unveiling of the portrait of Albert G. Lowenthal, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., New York City 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of Michael Novak, Ave Maria University 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of George Washington, Mount Vernon Museum, Mount Vernon, VA 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer, New York 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Justice Joseph P. Sullivan, The Supreme Court, New York 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, Washington, DC - Vatican, Rome 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Tiki Barber, American Football Star, New York City 2007 Unveiling of the portrait of Frederick Hart and his Cross of the Millennium, collection Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington, DC 2007 Unveiling of Portraits of Bob Costas and Bill Gallo, Waldorf Astoria, New York City 2006 Solo Exhibition, The Gallery at Summerlin, Las Vegas 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair", Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan 2006 Presentation of preliminary sketches to Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of Isadore Sharp, Founder&Chairman, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of Boomer Esiason, New York City 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of John Bello, New York City 2006 Unveiling of two portraits at the Indiana University Art Museum. 2006 Regional Museum Exhibition on Life and Works of Igor Babailov, Glazov, Russia 2006 Unveiling of Portrait of Dr. J.W. Streilein, The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard 2005 Unveiling of James Gandolfini's portrait, Waldorf Astoria, New York City 2005 Official presentation of Frederick Hart's portrait, Russian Embassy, Washington, DC 2005 Unveiling of the Portrait of Byron Janis, Steinway Hall, Steinway & Sons, New York City 2004 State Portrait Presentation to Pope John Paul II, Vatican 2003 Portrait Presentation to Regis Philbin, New York City 2003 Portrait Presentation to Gouvernor Yves Fortier, Hudson’s Bay Company 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 2002 Portrait Presentation to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, New York, NY 2002 State Portrait Presentation, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Parliament Hill 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President V. Putin, Moscow, Russia 2002 State Portrait Presentation to V. Tretiak, Moscow, Russia 2001 State Portrait Presentation to Nelson Mandela, Ottawa, Canada 2001 Portrait Presentation to Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien 2001 Solo Exhibition and Launch of the Russian Sponsored Book, Russia 2000 State Presentation of the Portrait of M. Kalashnikov, Central Armed Forces Museum, Russia 2000 Unveiling of the Portrait of Dr. R. Kilmura, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1999, 98, 97 Art Auction, Alzheimer Society (Benefit) 1999 Solo Exhibition, Ogilvy’s Ltd., Montreal (Benefit for Emmanuelle Masson School for disabled children) 1999 Art Auction, Unicorn Children’s Foundation, Palm Beach, Florida (Benefit) 1999 Annual Exhibition of Portrait Brokers of America, Inc. (Conference) . 1996 Joint American-Russian Art Exhibition, Kolomna (dated 1078), Russia. 1996 "Vernisazh" Solo Exhibition, HEIM America at Fisher Island Gallery, Florida 1995 Solo Exhibition, Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto 1995 Art Auction, Shaw Festival, Toronto (Benefit) 1993 Solo Exhibition, Portraits Inc. Montreal 1992 International Foundation for Peace Through Culture, Ottawa 1989 Glasgow College of Art, Scotland INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL RELATIONS (Selected list) 2018 International Cultural Forum (Speaker) - St. Petersburg, Russia 2016 Exhibition in Malta, International Academy of Culture and Art 2015- 2016 Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI exhibited at the Vatican Splendors museum tour in North America. 2012 Elected Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) - Life Membership 2010-2011 Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI selected by the Pope to represent His Papacy at the Vatican Splendors museum tour in North America. 2009 International Academy of Culture and Art - 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, Washington, DC - Vatican, Rome 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair", Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan 2003 Pre-Unveiling tour of the portrait of Pope John Paul II (New York-Montreal-Toronto-Vatican) 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President V. Putin, Moscow, Russia 2002 State Portrait Presentation to V. Tretiak, Moscow, Russia 2001 State Portrait Presentation to Nelson Mandela, Ottawa, Canada 2000 Preparatory Art College, Glazov, Russia, (“Mastering yourself” Lecture) 1999 Florence Academy of Art - Florence, Italy (Instructor of Figure Painting in Oil, Summer Program) The International attendance of students included the art students from Four Continents. 1996 Organized the very First Official delegation of American artists to Russia in conjunction with the DUMA (Russian Parliament) and the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation. The agenda included trips to the Art Museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg and Plein Air painting with the group of prominent Russian artists, resulting in the joint Art Exhibition, featured in print media. 1992 International Foundation for Peace Through Culture, Ottawa 1989 Selected by the Surikov Academy to represent the Russian School of Drawing at the exhibition in Scotland. COLLECTIONS Igor Babailov created over 2,000 portraits and other works. More than half of these are in official public, private and corporate collections around the world. They include: CORPORATE & OFFICIAL (Selected list - alphabetical order) Albert College - Ontario, Canada Ave Maria University - Naples, Florida Bank of Canada Boston Eye & Ear Hospital Buckingham Palace, London, England Bush Presidential Center - Dallas, TX Catholic University of America - Washington, DC Central Armed Forces Museum, Moscow, Russia Clinton Presidential Center - Little Rock, Arkansas Consulate General of Russia - Montreal Contrans Corporation Corporate Planning Associates -Toronto Cramer, Rosenthal, McGlynn, LLC - New York City Essroc Cement, Inc. - Portrait of Harvey McFarland - Picton, ON Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (HQ) - Full-length portrait of Founder and CEO, Isadore Sharp - Toronto George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum - Mount Vernon, VA Giuliani Partners, LLC - New York City Harvard University, Medical School, Cambridge, MA House of Commons, Parliament Hill, Canada - Heritage Collection, Gallery of Prime Ministers - Canada Hudson’s Bay Company (est. 1670) - Hall of Fame, Portraits of Gouvernors - Toronto, Canada Hummingbird Communications - Toronto, Canada Imperial House of Romanov - Madrid, Spain Indiana University Art Museum Indiana University Foundation Justice A.A. Birch Court Building, Nashville, TN. Kremlin, Moscow, Russia - Presidential Collection Kurosawa Productions, Tokyo, Japan McDonald's Corporation Monmouth University - Seven portraits displayed at the University's Portrait Gallery, New Jersey National Bank of Canada Nelson Mandela Presidential Collection, South Africa Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., New York City Patriarchate, Russia Presidential Foundation, Presidential Palace - Republic of Malta Power Corporation of Canada Reitmans Inc., Montreal Rhone - Poulenc Rorer Inc., France - U.S.A,, Philadelphia, PA Russian Nobility Association in America, New York City San Anton Presidential Palace, Republic of Malta Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School Somiper Inc. Canada Starlight-Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan Steinway & Sons, New York City Supreme Court of the United States - Washington, DC Supreme Court of the State of New York - New York City Synergistics Industries Ltd.- Toronto The White House, Washington, DC Vanderbilt University Medical School, Children's Hospital - Nashville, TN Vatican Museums, Vatican Vatican, Castel Gandolfo Vatican Nunciature, Washington, DC Vatican Collection of Commanders of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Vietnam Academy of Art West Point Military Academy Museum, New York WORLD LEADERS, DISTINGUISHED FAMILIES, PERSONALITIES (Selected list) His Holiness Pope Francis His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI His Holiness Pope John Paul II Nelson Mandela, President, South Africa George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of America Justice Samuel Alito, Supreme Court of the United States General David H. Petraeus, Commander, United States Central Command, CIA Director George Washington - NEW Portrait (Collection: Mount Vernon Museum) H.E. Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation Patriarch Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Brian Mulroney, 18th Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chretien, 20th Prime Minister of Canada Hillary R. Clinton, First Lady of the United States His Royal Highness Prince Andrew The Duke of York Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta Gov. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England Senator and Mrs. Douglas Henry, United States Senator Michael Pitfield, Canada Senator Herman Moore, North Carolina, United States Senator A.P. Torshin, Vice-Speaker - Federarion Council of Russia Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York Justice Joseph P. Sullivan, the Supreme Court of New York Amb. Michael Novak - U.S.Ambassador to UN Human Rights Com., American Enterprise Institute Governor Y. Fortier - Hudson's Bay Company (est.1667) Archie W. Dunham, CEO, ConocoPhillips, Houston,TX Dr. C. Wright Pinson, CEO, Vanderbilt Health System - Nashville, TN Dr. Billy K. Hudson and Dr. Julie H. Hudson, Nashville, TN Dr. Cyril Geacintov - President, Russian Nobility Association in America Prince & Princess Vladimir Galitzine, New York Prince Ivan Obolensky, New York Fred "Ted" W. Lazenby, Kennedy Center, Advisory Board, Washington, DC Madame Lucie Vanier Vincent, niece of The Rt.Hon. Georges Vanier, The Governor General of Canada Frank Military, Legendary Music Publisher, Vice-President, Warner Chappell Music, NYC Byron Janis - American Pianist Maria Cooper Janis - daughter of Film Star Gary Cooper Isadore Sharp, Founder & CEO of The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Regis Philbin - TV Personality, Creator of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" James Gandolfini - Actor Tony Lo Bianco - Actor Mikhail Kalashnikov - Legendary Inventor of AK-47. Dr. Allan Sniderman - Renowned Cardiologist Boomer Esiason - American Football Star John Bello - Founder of SoBe beverage Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza, owner of "Detroit Tigers", Founder of city of Ave Maria, FL Dr. Wayne Streinlein, Harvard University Medical School, Cambridge, MA Dr. Jeff Balser, MD, Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Julie K. Hudson, MD, Vanderbilt University Dolph von Arx, Naples, FL Gerald Cramer - New York City Dr. Robert Kimura, Leading U.S. Researcher of the Inner Ear, Boston, MA Peter McConnell, Montreal R. Regelbrugge, Charlotte, NC Tiki Barber - American Football Star Maria Bartiromo - TV host, FOX Dr. R. Blackwell, Charlotte, NC David & Julia Bianchi, Miami, FL Bob Costas - 17 Emmy Award recipient George Cohon, CEO, McDonald's Corporation, Toronto Steven Ross, Toronto Bennett Lebow, Fisher Island, FL Mr. & Mrs. Andre Lemire, Montreal Mr. & Mrs. Louis Desmarais, Montreal Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence D. Glaubinger, New York City Mr. & Mrs. Ben Sawatzky, British Columbia, Canada Joseph Steinberg, New York City Aziza Mustafa-Zadeh - Jazz Maestro, Germany Robert "Bobby" Hull - Hockey Legend Peter Quaife - "The Kinks", UK Vladislav Tretiak - Hockey Legend, Moscow, Russia Ms. Natasha - granddaughter-in-law of Nikita Khrushchev Boris Moiseev - Entertainer, Moscow Ilya Resnik - Songwriter, Moscow Larisa Dolina - Russian Pop Star Efim Shifrin - Russian Comedian Vladimir Vinokur - Russian Entertainer Ignat Solzhenitsyn - son of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, portraits of children FEATURED IN (Selected List) Present Marquis Who’sWho in America 2017-2018 Catholic University of America - media 2017-2018 Features in Russian newspapers about Igor Babailov's Knighthood. 2017 "Times of Malta" - Republic of Malta 2015-2016 Vatican Splendors - Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA ~ Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - Exhibition Catalogue 2014-2015 Media news about the Portrait of Pope Francis. 2013 Cassone , The International Art Magazine, United Kingdom 2013 The Tennessean 2013 Magazine Antikvar, Kiev, Ukraine 2012 Russian print-media and TV, re: Patriarch's portrait and State Award "Honored Artist of Udmurtia" 2011 Fine Art Connoisseur 2010-2011 Vatican Splendors - St.Louis, MO ~ Pittsburgh, PA ~ Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Exhibition Catalogue 2009 "Hunger for Beauty" (MercantorNet, online publication) 2008 "Portraits de Famille" (Le Temps, leading Swiss magazine, Switzerland) 2008 "Reviving the Renaissance; A President With Leadership" - ZENIT publication (Rome) 2008 Associated Press - National and International Print Media 2008 National Review's feature by Michael Novak 2008 Vatican Insider with, EWTN 2008 New York Daily News 2007 Illustrated bestseller Book "Ford and the American Dream -Founded On Right Decisions" 2007 "AskMen - Fine Living Top 10 Portrait Artists" 2006 Life Interview with TV Channel 3 News, Las Vegas 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair" , Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Japan 2006 Global news about the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, newspapers, interviews 2006 TV news about infringment of the copyright of Igor Babailov's paintigs. 2006, 2005 The Russian Nobility Ball, New York City 2005 "Quest" Magazine, New York City 2005 A Taste of Thailand, Washington, DC 2004 Peruvian Encyclopedia , Empresa Editora Il Comercio,S.A 2004 "In Focus" Magazine 2004 EWTN Global Catholic Radio (live interviews), U.S.A. 2004 Moscow Times, Russia 2004 Robb Report Magazine 2003 New York Family Magazine - U.S.A./International 2003 "Live with Regis & Kelly" TV Show 2003 Dan’s Papers – Long Island/Manhattan 2003, 2002 New York Times, Brooklyn Papers, New York – U.S.A. 2002 Globe and Mail - Canada 2002 National Post - Canada 2002 Magazine Art - Canada 2001 PRIMO (Italian-American) Magazine - U.S.A. 2001 "Udmurtia", book about the Udmurtia Region, Russia 2001 “Contemporary Russian Realists” 2001 International Artist - Australia 1999 The Finer Things in Life – U.S.A. 1999, 98 The Artist Magazine – U.S.A. 1998 Focus Magazine – U.S.A. 1997 Classical Realism Journal – U.S.A. 1997 Selecta Magazine – U.S.A. 1996 CJOH TV News 1996, 95, 94 Portrait Signature – U.S.A. 1995 Solo Exhibition, National TV News, Canada 1995 Featured in the film-documentary about Alla Pugachyova, Russian Pop Star 1992 Selected to create a Cover for the book "From East To West" by Antonina Demczyna 1989 "Moskobskiy Komsomolets", National Newspaper (featured with the portrait of the Winner of the international Jazz competition in Washington, Aziza Mustafa-Zadeh), Russia 1989 Glasgow College of Art Exhibition Catalog, Scotland ESSAYS by Igor Babailov 2017 Resurrection of Realism - Beauty will Save the World 2007 Letter to Artists and Art Students 2005 The SEVEN Essentials to Commissioning A Portrait 2002 Italian Influence in Art - PRIMO Italian-American magazine 2001 Why We Must Keep The Traditions Alive ‘International Artist’ - Australia 1999, 98 ‘The Artist’s Magazine’ – USA 1997 Keeping the Academic Tradition - ‘Classical Realism Journal’ – USA 1996, 95, 94 ‘Portrait Signature’ – USA 1982 Before Impressionism and after. FILMS on the Artist DVD “Igor Babailov” directed and produced by Matt Bush Productions – nationally televised in Japan for the World Celebrities Art Fair – Starlight Starbright Foundation (Steven Spielberg – Chairman Emeritus) BOOKS The Last Homily (Book Front Cover) , by Mary Eberstadt, 2018 The 13th Disciple (Book Front Cover) , by Paul Stutzman, 2017. Book Greatest Portrait Moments - Published, 2012. Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art (2010 - 2016) "Veritas I" (book cover), by Peter Quaife, The KINKS , United Kingdom, 2010 "Return to Greatness - Driving the American Dream" - Illustrated by Igor Babailov "Four Seasons:The Story of Business Philosophy" (Igor Babailov's portrait featured on the back cover), by Isadore Sharp,CEO 2009 Kids Meet the Presidents (features Babailov's portrait of President George W. Bush) - by Paul Rodhe and Paul Beatrice (Mar.31, 2009) "The World of Igor Babailov" , by V. Zakharov , sponsored by the business and political elite of the Udmurt Republic, Russia. Published in 2001 Bestseller Book "Ford and the American Dream -Founded On Right Decisions" Illustrated by Igor Babailov ‘Paulina the Sky Girl’ co-authored and illustrated by Igor Babailov – a children’s fiction novel on fighting bullying in schools. 2003 From East to West - book cover. By Antonina Demczina, 1992 HONORARY DEGREES 2019 Honorary Doctorate - Cumberland University (USA). 2016 Honorary Academician - International Academy of Culture and Art 2012 Honorary Academician - Russian Academy of Arts (Founded in 1757) MEMBERSHIPS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Ellis Island Honors Society ( members-only Society) - Member Order of Saint Anne (founded in 1735) - Dynastic Order of Knighthood (Chivalry) - Awarded Doctor of Literary Letters (Honoris Causa) - Cumberland University (USA) The Russian Academy of Arts ( est.1757 ) - Honorary Life-time Member, Hon. Academician (Hon.RAA) Distinguished Fellow - Catholic University of America American Academy of Catholic Scholars and Artists The Igor Babailov Institute of Realism - Master Classes National Arts Club, New York - Elected Member Art Renewal Center - Living Master™ Russian Nobility Association (Russia) - Full Member Russian Nobility Association in America - Member The Foundation for Sacred Arts - Washington, DC The Drawing Society of Canada - The Drawing Master (Honorary Member) International Academy of Culture and Art - Honorary Member, Academician Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists - Advisory Board Member Portrait Institute, New York, Charter Member Portrait Society of America, Inc., Patron Member (2000-2012) Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists, Senior Member Canadian Society of Portrait Artists, Member

Portrait artist Igor Babailov - Press and News, Official Portrait Unveilings: Presidents, Popes, Prime Ministers, U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Royalty, Celebrities Press News Up Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Share PRESS and NEWS For Media Inquiries Testimonials Igor Babailov on the Billboard at Times Square, New York City In his life-time professional portrait career, Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA(Ph.D), D.Litt.(Hon.Causa), has painted over 2,000 portraits. More than half of these are in official public, distinguished private, corporate and museum collections around the world. He is the only portrait artist to have received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022) which ranks as one of the highest awards in America with his name read into the Congressional Record. Babailov was selected to paint legacy portraits of three living Presidents of three countries, two living Prime Ministers, members of the noble families and British Royalty, and three living Popes for the Vatican, to name a few. Igor Babailov has been featured in art publications and news media nationally and internationally, such as: The New York Daily News, Washington Post, The Times of Malta, National Review, The Moscow Times, CBC News, the Vatican's ZENIT, Live with Regis and Kelly Show, The Artist's Magazine, Art World News, International Artist, Classical Realism Journal, AskMen, MercatorNet, The Encyclopedia Tematica del Peru, Italian American magazine Primo, and many others. PRESS GALLERY SCROLL DOWN and CLICK on photos below for more information Ellis Island Medal of Honor 2022 Distinguished Fellow, Ciocca Center of the Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America, 2019 Pope Francis Honorary Doctorate, Cumberland University, 2019 Prince Andrew The Duke of York 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney Pope Benedict XVI Prime Minister Mark Carney - former Governor of The Bank of England, and The Bank of Canada Justice Samuel Alito, U.S. Supreme Court - official portrait unveiling Life sitting with Nelson Mandela Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Vatican Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, awarding Igor Babailov with the dynastic Order of St. Anne ( est.1735) General David H. Petraeus U.S. Military Commander, CIA Director G8 Summit Members Portrait of President George W. Bush Portrait of President George W. Bush, officially commissioned to Igor Babailov on the occasion and on behalf of the G8 Summit members. Collection: George W. Bush Presidential Library. Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court - portrait sitting in preparation for the official oil portrait Pope St. John Paul II Portrait of George Washington, Mount Vernon Museum President Vladimir Putin of Russia Commissioned by Canadian Government and presented by Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada Babailov's Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, selected by the Pope to represent his papacy at the Vatican Splendors Exhibition and d isplayed alongside the works of Michelangelo, Giotto, Bernini and other Great Masters of the Renaissance. Hon. American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) American Pianist Byron Janis and Dr. James Watson, discoverer of DNA Rudy Giuliani Mayor of New York City U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon, Vatican Amb. Michael Novak Official photography - Igor Babailov and two Prime Ministers of Canada, photographed in the very room where Winston Churchill posed for his 1941 iconic photograph. Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta Justice Joseph P. Sullivan Supreme Court of New York Isadore Sharp, Founder & CEO, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, with his life-size portrait in the far background. Tony Lo Bianco American Actor Reggie Jackson, American Baseball Legend Prime Minister Jean Chretien . Mikhail Kalashnikov, Inventor of AK-47 His Holiness Patriarch of Russia, Kirill Governor Yves Fortier The Hudson's Bay Company (incorporated in 1670). Tiki Barber American Football Star Regis Philbin, American Entertainer James Gandolfini American Actor ("The Sopranos", etc.) Bobby Hull, Hockey Legend Vladislav Tretiak Portrait presentation Portrait of Judge Seth Norman, Official portrait unveiling - Nashville, TN. Portrait of C.Wright Pinson, MD, MBA, CEO Vanderbilt Health System From left to right: Dr. Billy Hudson, Dr. Julie Hudson, Igor Babailov, Hon.RAA, Dr. C.Wright Pinson Bill Gallo American Sports Illustrator, New York Daily News Bucky Dent American Baseball Legend, Presented at Yankee Stadium in New York City Igor Babailov was invited to unveil his portrait of the legendary film director Akira Kurosawa at Steven Spielberg's World Celebrities Art Fair, in Tokyo, Japan Boomer Esiason American Football Star

American Portrait Artist, Maestro Igor Babailov, awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022) that ranks as one of the most prestigious national awards in America. Past Medalists include eight U.S. Presidents, several Nobel Prize Laureates, leaders in business, arts, sciences, politics, etc. Officially recognized by the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, recipients are read into the Congressional Record, Senate Tribute to Igor Babailov Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Ellis Island Medal of Honor Photo Credit: Noam Galai / Getty Images On May 14, 2022, at the official ceremony in New York City, Igor Babailov was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor , which ranks as one of the most prestigious awards in America. He was selected for his "outstanding leadership and achievements in arts and culture and philanthropic and humanitarian contributions to our nation." This award is officially recognized by both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and the recipients are read into the Congressional Record . CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - Tribute to Igor Babailov Washington, DC, July 13, 2022 Past Medalists include: Eight (8) Presidents of the United States; Nobel Prize recipient Elie Wiesel; Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell; Secretaries of State Madeline Albright, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice; Albert II, Prince of Monaco; Bob Hope; Muhammad Ali; Frank Sinatra; Rosa Parks; Mike Wallace, and Oscar-winning actress Rita Moreno, and many other distinguished individuals. From left to right: Igor Babailov, Mary Calia, Julie Hudson, Billy Hudson With George Xu With Roosevelt Andre Credit Mary Calia, Nasser Kazeminy and Igor Babailov VIDEO Other Awards and Honors

The Studio of portrait artist Igor Babailov - CONTACT Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA CONTACT US Studio Babailov To schedule an appointment and for information on commissioning a portrait, works available, shows, master workshops, or if you have a question and would like to be contacted, added to our mailing list, please fill out the form below. Thank you. Send Success! Message received.

Custom Giclee Prints of the Original Paintings by Igor Babailov - signed by the Artist & come with Certificate of Authenticity. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA OTHER WORKS (Hostoric, Plein Air, Studies from Life and from Imagination) "I chose to paint Beauty!" Igor V. Babailov In direct academic lineage, Igor Babailov inherited the traditions of his famous teachers , some of the greatest artists in the history of art. Babailov's sensitive and skillfully executed works continue the teachings of Repin , Serov , Korovin and Levitan as they embrace the beauty of God's creation and represent the historic Russian school of painting, which paved the classical foundation for these and many other Masters, including the great American artist Whistler. The Igor Babailov artworks below are available as custom-made museum quality Fine Art Giclee Prints. Each Print is signed by Igor Babailov and comes with Certificate of Authenticity. For more information, please CONTACT US To ORDER your Fine Art Giclee Prints and for more information, please CONTACT US