Capping off his tour of the United States, Pope Francis was presented with a gorgeous papal portrait just last week in Washington, D.C.
Portraits of popes have been executed for nearly as long as the Catholic Church has existed, and now Pope Francis has acquired his own, from acclaimed portraitist Igor Babailov. Babailov has painted the official portraits of some of the most important individuals of our era, including presidents, prime ministers, royalty, and three popes, as well as various celebrities.
The portrait itself, titled “The Holy Cross,” is a massive 72 x 48 inches and displays His Holiness three separate times. Within the upper left of the image, we find the Holy Family, complete with baby Christ, Joseph, and the Virgin. At center, His Holiness is seen all in white, reverently gazing out toward the upper left and out of the frame, his hands folded. A shower of divine light, spills over his shoulders into a depiction of St. Peter’s Basilica. Beneath the façade, Pope Francis is shown kneeling, kissing and washing the feet of a disabled individual. The other side of the canvas shows His Holiness embracing a diverse group of children.
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