Step by step
How to commission a bespoke hand-painted icon
Commissioning an icon is the beginning of a journey: the time of prayer begins with the commission. Here is how it unfolds, from the first conversation with Concetta Basile to the day the icon enters your home or your church.
The stages of a commission
1 · The conversation
An appointment (online or in person), WhatsApp or email to share your intention: who the icon is for, for which occasion, where it will be placed.
2 · The subject
Together you choose the subject and its prototype: the Mother of God, Christ, a patron saint, a liturgical feast.
3 · The design
Size, panel shape, number of figures, inscriptions in Greek or Latin, booklet and frame. Together you agree the offering, proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
4 · The creation
Panel preparation, drawing, incision, gilding, colours from darkest to most luminous, rest and olifa.
5 · Updates
You receive photographs and recorded time of every stage of work, or visit the atelier, to watch your icon grow and take part spiritually in its birth.
6 · Delivery
The icon comes with its certificate of authenticity on real parchment, photographic documentation of every stage and explanatory booklet and, on request, a protective case. Delivered in person or by insured shipping worldwide.
How long it takes
An authentic icon takes months. Each layer of gesso must dry before sanding; gold is laid before the colours; colours proceed in successive glazes from the darkest tone to the light; finally the colours must rest before the olifa, which in turn needs time to dry.
So when the icon is tied to a date (a wedding, a baptism, an ordination, a consecration), it is best to commission it many months in advance. Traditionally families commissioned it up to a year before the event, visiting the iconographer to pray before the work being born.
What you can personalise
- Size: from 8×10 cm to 50×70 cm and beyond, made to measure.
- Panel shape: rectangular, square, round, arched.
- 23¾ karat gold: every icon is fully gilded.
- Inscriptions: complete, in Greek or Latin (IC XC, MP ΘY and names with liturgical titles).
- Explanatory booklet: in Italian, Italian and English, or with a third language.
- Case or frame: simple, carved, or in fine wood with anti-reflective glass.
A shared gift
An important icon is often the fruit of many people's love: friends joining for a wedding gift, grandparents and relatives for a baptism, a parish for its church or its priest. The commission can be shared, and the booklet can record the names of the donors.
We also deliver to
Frequently asked questions
How is the offering defined?
It is agreed with Concetta during the conversation, according to the means of those commissioning and in proportion to the time and materials the icon requires. The «Request your icon» page helps you get an idea.
Can I see the icon while it is being painted?
Yes. It is part of the tradition: you receive photographs and recorded time of every stage of work and, where possible, can visit the atelier. The same photographs accompany the certificate of authenticity on real parchment.
Can I ask for a copy of a famous ancient icon?
Yes, in the iconographic sense: the icon follows a prototype (for example the Theotokos of Vladimir or Rublev's Trinity) and paints it anew by hand, with its own materials. It is never a mechanical reproduction.
How is the icon shipped?
We ship worldwide, with protective packaging, including express courier and insurance. Collection in person is also possible. Because customs rules, couriers and international conditions change often, availability, timing and shipping costs to each country are checked at the time of commission.