Saints Peter and Paul with the Sudarium after 1475

This captivating, though roughly rendered, devotional image presents Saints Peter and Paul holding the Veil of Veronica, bearing the face of Christ. Above them, we see the papal tiara and crossed keys, symbols of Saint Peter's authority as the first Pope. Consider the image of the "Holy Face" itself. Across various epochs, we find the motif of a face imprinted on cloth, shrouded in mystery and imbued with divine power. This echoes the Mandylion of Edessa, a cloth said to bear the likeness of Christ. We also see the veil reappear in different contexts such as in the legend of Saint Veronica who offered her veil to Jesus to wipe his face on the way to his crucifixion, and when she retrieved it, the image of his face was miraculously impressed upon it. The bloody, sorrowful face engages us on a visceral level, tapping into our collective memory of suffering and redemption. It transcends time and space, reminding us of the cyclical nature of human experience and the enduring power of symbols.