Palm Sunday
Icon of the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem
«Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!» (Matthew 21:9). Christ enters Jerusalem seated on a donkey, welcomed by the crowd with branches and cloaks: it is the entry of the gentle King going to meet his Passion.
How to read the icon
- At the centre, Christ seated sideways on the donkey, his face turned back towards the apostles following him.
- On the right the walls and gates of Jerusalem, from which the crowd comes out.
- In the foreground, children spreading cloaks on the road; one of them, climbing the tree, cuts branches.
- The mountain behind Christ: the Mount of Olives, from which he descends towards the city.
The meaning
The King of kings does not arrive on a warhorse, but on a humble animal, as the prophet Zechariah had foretold (Zechariah 9:9). The children in the foreground recall the Psalm: «Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise» (Matthew 21:16). It is an icon for Holy Week, for a parish, or for anyone living an entrance: a new home, a new office. Like every icon by Concetta Basile, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I commission a feast icon?
In the configurator choose «Liturgical feast» and enter the name of the feast; the number of figures can be changed. In the conversation with Concetta Basile you agree together on composition, size and inscriptions.