THE

ICONOGRAPHY
OF SAINT
BASIL
Dr Ken Parry
 Mummy Portraits
Roman Egypt 2nd & 3rd Centuries A.D.
 ULPIUS THE ROMAN (9th-10th Cent)
Basil the Cappadocian was a tall man,
straight of build, lean, swarthy, his
complexion having an admixture of pallor;
long nose, arched eyebrows, contracted
brow, severe and anxious expression,
forehead lined with a few wrinkles,
elongated cheeks, concave temples, hair
in somewhat need of clipping, rather long
beard, half-grey.
Sinai - St Basil 7th Cent
Sinai Icon 10th Cent
Sacra Parallela 9th Cent
St Basil: Sacra Parallela
 St Basil: Epistle II, 3
As the painters when they paint icons
from icons, looking closely at the model,
are eager to transfer the character of
the icon to their own masterpiece, so
must he who strives to prefect himself in
all branches of virtue look at the lives of
the saints as if to living and moving
images, and make their virtue his own
by imitation.
Sacra Parallela 9th Cent
Sacra Parallela 9th Cent
St Basil: 7th & 9th Cent
Athos 11th Cent of St Basil
Paris 12th Cent - of St Basil
Athos 12th Cent - Exile & Healing
 Liturgy of St Basil
Ochrid 11th Cent Athos 11th Cent
Russia Icon 15th Century
Sicily 13th Century
The Three Hierarchs 14th Century
Russian Icon 15th Century
 mosaic & fresco with St Basil wearing
(left) omophorion and (right) polystavrion
 Syria 13th Century
Russia 16th Century
Russia: Holy Doors 16th Century
Russian Vita Icon 16th Century