Martyrs, virgins, mothers
Hand-painted icons of women saints
Beside the Mother of God the iconographic tradition has preserved the faces of many women saints: martyrs, nuns, queens, mothers of families. Each has her attributes, which make her recognisable together with the name written on the panel.
The most requested women saints
Saint Mary Magdalene
Equal to the apostles, first witness of the Resurrection: she holds the jar of ointment or a red egg. 22 July.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Princess and learned martyr, with crown, wheel and book. Patron of students and philosophers. 25 November.
Saint Barbara
Martyr with the three-windowed tower, sign of the Trinity. Patron of firefighters and the navy. 4 December.
Saint Lucy
Martyr of Syracuse, with palm and lamp. Patron of eyesight and of Syracuse. 13 December.
Saint Anne
Mother of the Mother of God, often with the child Mary in her arms. Patron of mothers and grandmothers. 26 July (25 July in the East).
Saint Helen
Empress, mother of Constantine, with crown and the recovered Cross. 18 August (21 May in the East).
Saint Clare
Founder of the Poor Clares, with the monstrance. Patron of television. 11 August.
Saint Rita of Cascia
Wife, mother and Augustinian nun, with the thorn on her forehead and roses. 22 May.
An icon for a name
The icon of the saint whose name one bears accompanies a whole life: it is given at birth, first communion, confirmation, for a name day or an anniversary. For more recent or less depicted saints, Concetta Basile studies the available sources and images and translates them into the language of the icon. 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 a saint without a traditional iconography be painted?
Yes: starting from her life and from existing photographs or portraits, the iconographer defines an image that respects the canons of the icon, with garments, attributes and the name written in Greek or Latin.