Veronica's Veil (Isaiah 53)

Artistic tradition holds that a woman named Veronica offered her veil to Christ as he labored under the weight of the Cross. With it, he wiped the sweat and blood from his face, and thus the veil became the first self-portrait of Jesus, predating even the Shroud of Turin. This story is the basis of my painting.

In my work, scripture, hymnody, and imagery come together to represent Veronica’s veil. The background is covered with text from Isaiah 53, which prophesied Christ’s suffering. A ring around the bloody impression of Christ’s head features lyrics from the hymn "SACRED HEAD NOW WOUNDED." This hymn is based on a long medieval Latin poem, Salve Mundi Salutare, with stanzas addressing the various parts of Christ’s crucified body.

It is no coincidence that the Latin roots of the name Veronica— from “vera,” meaning true, and “ica,” meaning icon—associate her veil with the "true image" of Christ’s face.