Icons of Christ the Pantocrator

Christ Pantocrator Icon explained

The Icon of Christ Pantocrator is one of the oldest images of Jesus. It left a deep imprint on the history and tradition of icon painting. It depicts Jesus Christ at full length or at waist-level, raising one hand in a blessing and holding a Gospel in the other.

The two halves of his face show two different emotions. On the one side, he looks stern and severe, reminding us about the end of time and the imminent day of the last judgement. The other half of his face appears peaceful and calm, underlining His role as Saviour.

We turn to this icon to pray for God's help in our many daily needs, such as avoiding sinful thoughts and temptation, the forgiveness of our transgressions, the healing of our infirmities of the flesh and spirit, and finding inner peace, and happiness in family life.

Your painted Christ Pantocrator icon: process and delivery

At St Elisabeth Convent, we have been painting icons since 1998. Over decades, we have created thousands of sacred images found in many churches and homes across the world.

In choosing our processes, materials and techniques, we keep to the authentic Byzantine and Russian traditions of icon painting and uphold the canons of the Orthodox Church.

We use a process that comprises the following main stages:

1. Prepare the board and the outer frame, then affix the linen and apply several layers of gesso (‘levkas’)
2. Transfer the drawing;
3. Gild the background, halos and other details;
4. Apply the paint, from the background to the face;
5. Put a protective layer of varnish.

We make our paints from ground minerals and add egg yolk as an adhesive. This traditional technique - called tempera - gives extra durability to our icons.

The icons of Jesus Pantocrator are for sale in different sizes. We recommend ordering a kiot to protect your item from damage.

The final price depends on your location and choice of delivery option. We will contact you to confirm the details after receiving your order.