Small handmade Jesus Epitaphios Icon, 10x20 cm, hand-painted with egg tempera on a wooden panel, featuring a gold halo and Prussian blue background, traditional Orthodox Christian religious artwork ideal for home altars, churches, collectors, and spiritual gifts.
Savior Jesus Christ Icon 10x20 cm – back view of hand-painted Orthodox Byzantine religious icon on seasoned linden wood panel, impregnated and stained with honey-golden finish, featuring genuine gold leaf accents. Premium Christian sacred art, Catholic and Orthodox home altar decoration, traditional egg tempera craftsmanship, unique religious wall panel.
Side profile of Jesus Before Resurrection Icon, showing thickness of seasoned linden wood (10 x 20 cm). Unique hand-painted Orthodox sacred art, perfect for contemplation of Salvation.
  1. Small handmade Jesus Epitaphios Icon, 10x20 cm, hand-painted with egg tempera on a wooden panel, featuring a gold halo and Prussian blue background, traditional Orthodox Christian religious artwork ideal for home altars, churches, collectors, and spiritual gifts.
  2. Savior Jesus Christ Icon 10x20 cm – back view of hand-painted Orthodox Byzantine religious icon on seasoned linden wood panel, impregnated and stained with honey-golden finish, featuring genuine gold leaf accents. Premium Christian sacred art, Catholic and Orthodox home altar decoration, traditional egg tempera craftsmanship, unique religious wall panel.
  3. Side profile of Jesus Before Resurrection Icon, showing thickness of seasoned linden wood (10 x 20 cm). Unique hand-painted Orthodox sacred art, perfect for contemplation of Salvation.

EPITAPHIOS Jesus Hand-Painted Icon, BYZANTINE Religious Art

$600.00

Epitaphios Jesus Christ Icon, hand-painted with egg tempera on wood, featuring a gold halo. Byzantine Orthodox art, 10×20 cm.

 

Jesus Epitaphios Icon – Hand-Painted Orthodox Christian Sacred Art with 24K Gold Leaf

Introduce your home or prayer space to a deeply moving Jesus Epitaphios Icon, a hand-painted Orthodox Christian sacred artwork crafted for contemplation of Christ’s Passion and the hope of Redemption. This icon is created with utmost devotion during Great Lent (the period before Holy Week) in a specialized iconography studio, completed in approximately two weeks. It is intended to foster prayer, reflection, and meditation on Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and love.

Painted During Lent – Timing, Devotion, and Purpose

This Jesus Epitaphios Icon was painted during the season of Great Lent, in preparation for Holy Week, imbuing it with spiritual significance and immediacy. The rapid creation — about two weeks from start to finish — reflects the deep sense of urgency, devotion, and humility that accompanies the Lenten journey. In Orthodox tradition, artworks produced in this period are seen as especially blessed and in harmony with the faithful’s penitent heart.

By capturing the image of Christ in the Epitaphios (lying in the tomb), this icon invites believers to enter into the mystery of His suffering and sacrifice. It helps center prayer on the themes of sacrifice, love, and resurrection, making it ideal for Holy Week observance, meditation on the Cross, or year-round spiritual reflection.

Materials, Colors, and Technical Details

 Size, Support & Wood

  • Dimensions: 10 × 20 cm (a tall, narrow rectangular format)

  • Support: Hand-painted on linden wood (limewood), approximately 2.0 cm thick, giving the icon solidity and durability

  • The choice of linden wood ensures a stable, fine-grained surface suitable for traditional egg tempera painting and gold leaf work.

 Pigments and Color Scheme

  • The primary (ground) color is Prussian Blue, used to depict the deeper tones and shadows around Christ’s figure, offering a rich, sacred atmosphere

    • Note: Prussian Blue was one of the earliest modern synthetic pigments, known for its depth and intensity.

  • To contrast that depth, the cloth around Jesus’ hips is painted in a light green hue, offering a delicate, vivid contrast to the darker tones

  • The inscription is painted using mineral copper gold pigment, giving lettering that glimmers with a warm, metallic quality

  • Around Christ’s head is a halo gilded with true 24K gold leaf, emphasizing His divinity and sanctity

These materials and techniques reflect centuries-old Orthodox iconographic tradition, where hand-painted icons, gold leaf, and symbolic color usage converge to lift the viewer’s soul toward spiritual reality.

Theological & Devotional Meaning

The Epitaphios Icon in Christian Tradition

The word Epitaphios (Greek: επιτάφιος) literally means “on the tomb.” In liturgical usage, it often denotes the cloth or image used during Holy Friday and Saturday services to symbolize Christ’s burial.

In iconography, the Jesus Epitaphios Icon typically depicts Christ laid in the tomb, sometimes flanked by His mother, disciples, or angels, or alone in a silent, powerful pose. This image encourages the faithful to meditate on the sacred mystery of death and resurrection and invites deeper prayer during Holy Week and beyond.

By placing this icon in one’s home, believers create a sacred focal point for prayer, repentance, and spiritual renewal.

Use for Prayer, Reflection & Contemplation

This icon is intended not merely as decoration, but as a sacred instrument for devotion. It is ideally suited for:

  • Personal prayer / home altar

  • Holy Week meditation and reflection

  • Church chapels or devotional corners

  • Gift to devout believers seeking deeper spiritual engagement

When gazing upon this icon, one may quietly reflect on the suffering Jesus endured, His love for humanity, and the promise of salvation. The combination of sacred imagery, vivid color, and gilded halo helps the eyes and heart ascend beyond the purely visual into contemplative prayer.

Unique Features & Differentiators

 Authentic Orthodox Craftsmanship

This Jesus Epitaphios Icon is created by skilled iconographer using traditional Orthodox methods — hand-mixed pigments, careful layering, and delicate gilding. There is no printing or mass reproduction; every icon is individually created, making it a singular piece of Christian sacred art.

You may explore my full icon collection.

 Symbolic Use of Color and Light

The use of Prussian Blue as a base color draws the viewer into the depth of Christ’s suffering, while the light green cloth provides a gentle visual uplift — a subtle symbol of hope even amid sorrow. The 24K gold halo draws the eye upward, reminding us of the divine glory beyond suffering.

 Compact and Intimate Format

At 10 × 20 cm, this icon is compact yet deeply expressive — small enough to find a place on a shelf, desk, or prayer corner, while still conveying powerful spiritual presence. Its vertical shape makes it well-suited for narrow sacred spaces or altar niches.

 Swift Creation & Spiritual Timing

The fact that the icon was painted in around two weeks during Great Lent gives it a unique spiritual resonance. The timing aligns with the journey of repentance and preparation that believers undertake in Lent, adding an extra dimension of holiness to this work of art.

Final Reflection & Invitation

This Jesus Epitaphios Icon is more than a decorative object — it is a holy companion in your spiritual journey. Painted in a Lenten season, imbued with symbolism, and crafted with traditional materials, it invites prayerful reflection on Christ’s sacrifice, death, and the hope of resurrection.

To complete your meditation on the Passion of Christ, you may also wish to see my Hand-Painted Orthodox Crucifixion Icon, which captures the profound moment of victory over death on the Cross.

Let this icon serve as a sacred window into the mysteries of your faith, a source of quiet meditation, and a daily reminder of the love and redemption of Jesus Christ. It stands as a testament to the power of Christian art, Orthodox tradition, and the timeless beauty of hand-painted sacred icons.

 

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