The Holy Face

The representation of The Holy Face or Veil (Sudarium) of Veronica, showing the image of Christ - vera icona - on the cloth used by Veronica to wipe his drawn face was one of Zurbar�n’s favourite subjects. The motif enabled him to create a surprising trompe-l’oeil effect by representing Christ on a cloth tied by pieces of rope and hung from a nail, set against a black background that theatrically competes with reality. The excellent painting faintly reveals Christ’s evanescent face, depicted in brownish-grey tonalities that form a contrast with the intense white of the cloth and the shadows produced by the folds. The austerity of the pictorial treatment of the theme highlights the verism of the image and enters directly into the transcendent world of the Baroque; such works, beheld in closed places - chapels or oratories - tenuously lit by candlelight, sought to move the faithful to pity.

There are 14 versions of this subject painted by Zurbar�n with illusionistic effects.