When a painting stays with you, the next question is a practical one: do you want the original, or a print of it? According to her FAQ, Chaya Koritz’s work is available as original paintings and as high-quality giclee prints, both plain and hand-embellished. This guide explains the differences so you can decide what suits your wall and the way you live with art.
What an original gives you
An original is the one painting the artist made. Most of the works on her site are acrylic on canvas, and several include gold leaf. That detail is where originals and reproductions part ways. On the page for Circle of Faith, Chaya describes how the gold leaf catches the light in a way that shifts with your perspective. In Jerusalem Unveiled: Layers of Time and Light, the gold weaves through the composition and reflects differently depending on where you stand. A print shows an image of that gold in ink; it cannot reproduce real metal leaf moving with the light in your room.
Texture is the other difference. Golden Moments at the Wall is built from layered brushwork with gold leaf accents, and she writes that it reveals different details depending on the angle and the light. In Living Light: Contemporary Judaica Art, the brushstrokes around the menorah pulse with movement. On an original, those marks have physical depth you can see from the side.
An original also comes in one fixed size. The listed sizes of her paintings run from 70×90 cm to 100×150 cm, so measure your wall before you fall in love.
What a giclee print is
Giclee is the name commonly used for fine-art inkjet prints made from a high-resolution image of the artwork with pigment-based inks, usually on archival paper or canvas. It is the standard way artists reproduce paintings with accurate colour. A good giclee captures the composition and palette of the original faithfully, which is why it is a popular way to live with an image you love.
Her FAQ also mentions hand-embellished prints. In general, the term means a print that has had paint or other hand-applied touches added on top, so it carries some of the texture a flat print lacks. Because this varies from studio to studio, ask exactly what is added to a hand-embellished print, and by whom, before you buy.
Not every painting is available as a print
The FAQ is clear on this: not all paintings are available as prints, and the studio offers a curated selection of prints of her most popular works. If you have fallen for a particular painting, such as Threads of Time: Tallit and Tradition, ask whether a print exists before you plan around one. If it does not, the original or a commission are the routes left.
How to decide
- Choose the original if the gold leaf and brushwork are what moved you, if the painting will be a focal point you see every day, or if it matters to you that it is the only one.
- Choose a print if the image itself is what you love and you want a more affordable way to own it.
- Consider a commission if you want an original but the subject, colours or size you need are not in the current collection. The commission page explains how to start: describe the space, the subject and the colours you have in mind.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Is this work available as a print, and as a plain or hand-embellished print?
- What size is the print, and on what material?
- What do the original and the print each cost?
- How will it be shipped, and should I frame it locally?
On the last point, the FAQ says that for international orders paintings and prints are shipped rolled, and recommends framing them in your home country.
Caring for either one
The care advice in her FAQ applies to paintings and prints alike: keep the work out of direct sunlight and high humidity, and if it needs cleaning, gently dust the surface with a soft, dry cloth. Also keep in mind that buying a painting or a print does not include the right to reproduce it; the artwork remains under copyright.
How buying works
Her FAQ describes a personal process rather than a checkout: you select the piece you are interested in and leave your contact details, and one of the studio’s art associates reaches out by phone or email to discuss the details. If you are weighing an original against a print, ask the studio about both options in the same message.
