Further reading
On Coptipedia, the Coptic encyclopedia (in French)
Certificate of authenticity
Delivered with your artwork
Your hand-painted icon comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Armia Elkatcha. It identifies your artwork, its dimensions, its number and its completion date.
- Artist
- Armia Elkatcha
- Artwork
- Saint Paul of Thebes, the First Hermit
- Dimensions
- 90 × 130 cm
- Certificate number
- Assigned to your completed artwork
- Completion date
- Recorded upon completion
Armia Elkatcha’s signature
Signed by the artist on the certificate delivered with the artwork
Apostles, martyrs and saints
Saint Paul of Thebes, the First Hermit
Hand-painted icon by Armia Elkatcha. Size of your choice. The smaller the icon, the fewer details the artist can include. The photo shows the XL size.
Hand-painted on request · Delivered in 2 to 4 months · Free delivery
The long-bearded saint wearing a woven palm-leaf garment is identifiable as Paul of Thebes, the First Hermit. The raven carrying bread and the lion are his traditional attributes. He is not Paul the Apostle.
Jerome’s Life of Paul recounts his desert solitude, bread brought by a raven and Saint Antony’s visit. At his death, two lions are said to have helped Antony dig his grave; this icon shows one. These details belong to hagiography, not the Bible. The raven recalls, by analogy, the bird that fed the prophet Elijah.
Biblical parallels: 1 Kings 17:2-6; Matthew 6:25-33. Source: Jerome, Life of Paul.
Studio journal
From preparing the support to the final details: the usual stages of a hand-painted icon.
Prepare the wood
The wooden support is prepared to receive the drawing, gold leaf and paint.
Draw the composition
The scene, figures and symbols are arranged according to the chosen representation and size.
Apply the gold leaf
Gilding brings light to the background and halos, in the tradition of the Coptic icon.
Paint the icon
Colours, garments and faces are painted by hand. The level of detail is adapted to the size of the artwork.
Finish and authenticate
The final details and finishing touches are completed. The artist signs the certificate bearing the artwork’s number and date.
