Saint Veronica c. 1480

Martin Schongauer rendered this engraving of Saint Veronica and the Holy Face in the late fifteenth century. Veronica holds the sudarium, the cloth with which she wiped the face of Christ on his way to Calvary, miraculously imprinted with his features. This image of the Holy Face is itself a potent symbol. The vera icon, the 'true image,' connects us to the power of authentic representation. This concept stretches back to ancient depictions of rulers and gods, each carrying an inherent authority. In Christian tradition, the Mandylion of Edessa is a similar legendary relic, believed to be a cloth bearing the face of Christ. The persistence of the Holy Face reflects humanity’s deep yearning for tangible connections to the divine. Across time and cultures, we see echoes of this desire—masks, portraits, and effigies serving as focal points for veneration, capturing the essence of a person or belief, allowing an emotional connection to transcend time itself. The cloth becomes a mirror, not just of Christ's face, but of our collective longing for truth and redemption.