The Great Martyr
Hand-painted icon of Saint George and the dragon
On a white horse, his red cloak in the wind, Saint George spears the dragon: one of the best-loved images of all iconography, sign of the victory of faith over evil. The Eastern tradition calls him megalomartyr, «great martyr».
The atelier's icon
In the icon painted by Concetta Basile the scene is enriched by the tower of the liberated city, with its inhabitants looking out of the windows. The square panel, with a recessed central field, is fully gilded.
Saint George and the dragon
Square panel with recessed field, gold ground.
The meaning
The dragon is evil, fear and falsehood; the white horse is purity; the slender spear that defeats the monster shows that strength comes not from the warrior but from God. Often the hand of God blesses the saint from above.
Saint George is celebrated on 23 April. He is patron of Ferrara and Reggio Calabria, of Georgia and England, of scouts and knights, and of those named George. Like every icon from the atelier, 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 many figures does a Saint George icon have?
In the configurator it is set to two (the saint and the dragon, with the horse); you can add the rescued princess and the townspeople, as in the atelier's icon.