Portrait of Pope John Paul II

Privately sponsored, portrait of Pope John Paul II (Believe) was painted by Igor V. Babailov in commemoration of the World Youth Day. The creative research included references from the Vatican archives and Mr. Babailov was granted an Audience with the Pope and His Holiness's Blessing. It was presented to Pope John Paul II by His Excellency Apostolic Nuncio Luigi Ventura.

"... Thank you for giving us the Pope younger in his appearance, because he IS young and strong in his spirit, surrounded by the youth who had followed him, always replying generously to his call for a life of faith and love...How many experiences, how many feelings reflect the expression of the symbolism which is found in this painting? It is impossible to put them all in words..."
- Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Luigi Ventura