The Hospitality of Abraham
Hand-painted icon of the Holy Trinity
Three angels sit around a table, beneath an oak, in front of a house. It is the episode of Genesis 18: by the oaks of Mamre Abraham welcomes three mysterious travellers. The Church Fathers saw in it an image of the Trinity, and Andrei Rublev's icon made it the most famous icon in the world.
From the Hospitality of Abraham to Rublev's Trinity
The oldest icons paint the whole scene: Abraham and Sarah serving their guests, the servant preparing the calf. At the beginning of the 15th century Andrei Rublev, a Moscow monk, removed the human figures and left only the three angels in a silent circle: no longer a story, but the contemplation of the love uniting the three divine Persons. His icon, painted for the Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius, is now in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow; in 1551 the Council of the Hundred Chapters named it the model for all iconographers.
How to read the icon
- The three angels have the same face and the same traveller's staff: the same nature, the same dignity.
- The three figures are inscribed in a circle, sign of eternity and unity.
- At the centre of the table the chalice with the head of the calf: sacrifice and the Eucharist.
- Behind the angels, Abraham's house, the oak of Mamre (tree of life and of the cross) and the mountain.
- Traditional interpretations see the Father in the left angel, the Son at the centre, with red tunic and blue mantle, and the Holy Spirit on the right, clothed in green.
- A place remains free at the front of the table: the space of the viewer, invited to the banquet.
For whom
The Trinity is the icon of communion: it is given for a wedding, for a family, for a religious community, for a home that wants to be hospitable. It is among the icons most requested for churches and chapels dedicated to the Holy Trinity. 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
Can I have an exact copy of Rublev's Trinity?
An iconographer does not photocopy: the icon follows Rublev's model, proportions and colours, but each icon is a new work, hand-painted from beginning to end. You can choose to follow Rublev's model faithfully or the older composition with Abraham and Sarah.
Why is God the Father not painted as an old man?
The iconographic tradition depicts what has become visible: Christ, who became incarnate, and the angels who appeared to Abraham. This is why the Trinity is painted through the image of the three angels of Mamre.