Sts. Peter and Paul With the Vernicle 1517

Lucas van Leyden’s “Sts. Peter and Paul With the Vernicle” (1517) is an etching depicting the two apostles Peter and Paul reverently holding a cloth imprinted with the image of Christ’s face. The “Veronica” cloth, referred to as the Vernicle, is a relic associated with the Gospel story of Veronica wiping the sweat and blood from Christ’s face during his journey to Calvary. The etching, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, is a prime example of Lucas van Leyden’s detailed, precise style, which exemplifies the flourishing artistic scene in the Netherlands during the early 16th century.