Isaac Fanous - Modern Coptic Iconography

Modern Coptic Iconography

For centuries before painters like Isaac Fanous the Coptic Orthodox church had its own style which is recognised as The Coptic style. Under the influence of the European art spread to Egypt in the nineteenth Century there are a lot of the Churches in Egypt which have Icons that are similar to a lot of the European (Western) Christianity Iconography style.

Fanous's contemporary school of icon painting came about as part of a general renaissance of Coptic culture which began during the patriarchate of Pope Cyril VI (1959–1971).

He capitalised on the already established Coptic style which could be seen in historic Coptic Churches, but in his own style which he developed over the years.

The style of his painting is called Modern Coptic style and as he was a pioneer in this field Fanous is considered the father of modern Coptic icon painting and the initiator of the modern renaissance in Coptic art.

Fanous drew all the pictures and icons in St. Takla Haymanot's Church in Alexandria, which was consecrated in 1969. Between 1977 and 1978, he spent six months in the UK to paint icons in St Mark's Coptic Orthodox church in Allen Street, Kensington, London.

• Coptic icon of Saint Anthony the Great

• Coptic icon of Saint Maurice