Coptic Icons

The characteristic features of Coptic icon painting can already be seen in the fourth century: the large eyes and ears on a small head, the confident lines, the naive and childlike depictions. The Copts themselves are certain that iconography was born in Egypt, which they convincingly demonstrate by comparing the iconographic canon with works of ancient Egyptian art.
admin | 16 January 2012

Coptic icons are childlike, sincere, and very expressive and vibrant.

The Coptic tradition of icon painting was formed under the influence of ancient Egyptian and Greek art. The characteristic features of Coptic icon painting can already be seen in the fourth century: the large eyes and ears on a small head, the confident lines, the naive and childlike depictions. The Copts themselves are certain that iconography was born in Egypt, which they convincingly demonstrate by comparing the iconographic canon with works of ancient Egyptian art. Incidentally, the most common subject is, of course, the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. Since the 1960s the neo-Coptic school of iconography has continued the tradition of the Coptic school.

We offer our readers these extraordinary Coptic images of Christ, the Theotokos, and the saints.

Old Testament

Noah’s Ark

Crossing of the Red Sea

Jonah in the Belly of the Whale

Appearance of the Angel Tobias

New Testament

The Annunciation

The Nativity of Christ

The Holy Family

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Flight into Egypt

The Nativity of Christ

The Meeting of the Lord

The Meeting of the Lord

St. John the Baptist

The Theophany

The Theophany

The Theophany

The Wedding at Cana

The Wedding at Cana

The Multiplication of Loaves

The Lord Feeds the Crowd with Five Loaves of Bread

The Healing of the Blind Man

The Good Samaritan

Christ with the Samaritan Woman

The Entrance into Jerusalem

The Mystical Supper

The Mystical Supper

The Crucifixion

The Resurrection of Christ

The Resurrection of Christ

Icons of Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Enthroned

The Lord Pantocrator

The Lord Pantocrator

The Lord Pantocrator

Icons of the Theotokos

Icons of the Saints

The Protomartyr Stephen the Archdeacon

The Apostles Peter and Paul

St. Anthony the Great and St. Paul of Thebes

The Apostle Paul

St. Menas

The Apostle Mark

St. Macarius the Great, St. Maximus, St. Domatius

St. Macrina, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Peter of Sebastia

St. Gregory the Theologian

St. George the Trophy-Bearer

St. Basil the Great

St. Barbara and St. Juliana

St. Anthony the Great

St. Anthony the Great and Paul the Hermit

The Holy Martyr Victor

The Holy Martyr Isidore

St. Athanasius

The Apostle Mark

The Apostle Mark

St. Anthony the Great

The Apostles Peter and Paul

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