Fine-art sacred works
Modern sacred art made in Italy: fine-art icons painted by hand
Those looking for contemporary sacred art often find mass-produced religious goods, prints on wood and reproductions. A fine-art icon is something else: a unique work, painted today, entirely by hand, in the furrow of a thousand-year Tradition. It is modern sacred art in the most authentic sense, and it is made in Italy at every stage.
What a work of modern sacred art is
Modern does not mean distant from Tradition. The contemporary fine-art icon remains faithful to the Byzantine canon (proportions, symbolic colours, inscriptions, the light that comes from within) but is born from the hand and prayer of an iconographer of today. Some works are newly conceived: the icon of Saint Joseph the Nourisher, commissioned by Archimandrite Father Alessio Mandanikiotis, shows Joseph offering bread and the Child holding a bunch of grapes.
Saint Joseph the Nourisher
A newly conceived icon, commissioned by Archimandrite Father Alessio Mandanikiotis.
The Good Samaritan
Mission of Hope and Charity, Palermo, 2022.
Saint Hilarion the Great
The radiant Name of Jesus defeats the dragon.
Sacred works made in Italy, from panel to gold
- A seasoned wooden panel, prepared with more than ten layers of gesso and animal glue in the finest finishes.
- A drawing built on sacred geometry and incised into the gesso with an engraving tool.
- Gilding with 23¾ karat gold leaf: every icon is fully gilded.
- Egg tempera with natural pigments (ochres, earths and oxides) ground by hand.
- A final coat of olifa, and a certificate of authenticity on real parchment with photographs of every stage.
Who a fine-art sacred work is for
Collectors
A documented work from a recognisable school: the traditional school of Lia Galdiolo.
Churches and communities
Icons for the altar, the iconostasis, a chapel or a charitable work.
Interior designers
A unique focal point for a villa, a study, a lobby.
Families
A work to hand down through the generations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a fine-art icon and a religious item?
A religious item is mass-produced, often printed or screen-printed; a fine-art icon is a unique work, painted entirely by hand on a gessoed panel, with gold leaf and egg tempera, and documented by a certificate of authenticity.
Where can I commission a work of modern sacred art made in Italy?
Concetta Basile's icons are commissioned directly from the iconographer, with a consultation online or in person, for those living in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world.