6 August
Hand-painted icon of the Transfiguration
On Mount Tabor Christ reveals his glory to the disciples: «his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white» (Matthew 17:2). The Transfiguration is the icon of light par excellence, and therefore the very heart of the art of iconography.
How to read the icon
- Above, on the mountain top, Christ in white garments within a mandorla of light crossed by rays.
- On either side Elijah the prophet and Moses with the tablets of the Law: the Prophets and the Law bear witness to Christ.
- Below, the three apostles, Peter, James and John, thrown to the ground by the light: one covers his face, one falls backwards, one raises his hand.
- Sometimes, at the sides, the scenes of the ascent and descent of the mountain.
The light of Tabor and the iconographer
For Eastern theology the light of Tabor is the uncreated light of God, the same light the iconographer seeks to make visible with gold and highlights. According to a tradition widespread in the Orthodox world, the Transfiguration was the first icon an apprentice painted, before receiving the blessing to paint other subjects.
It is an icon for a change in life, for a healing, for a new beginning. Like every icon by Concetta Basile, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I commission a feast icon?
In the configurator choose «Liturgical feast» and enter the name of the feast; the number of figures can be changed. In the conversation with Concetta Basile you agree together on composition, size and inscriptions.