by Amanda Murphy, Felicita Mornata, Raffaella Zardoni. Despite the almost infinite number of existing copies, the exact appearance of the medieval veronica– the sudarium kept in Rome imprinted with the face of Christ – is not known. This paper illustrates an attempt to find the ‘true icon’, creating a sort of identikit by means of the statistical processing of 4500 works, with analysis of the concentration of the copies and their characteristics, together with multivariate analysis tools.
Read MoreAll articles filed in Medieval illuminated manuscripts
The Face of the Other: The Veronica and the Spread of its Cult in Europe
Abstract Issues surrounding the cult of the Veronica, the cloth imprinted with the face of Christ, have been the object of numerous works of research. Reflecting on recent findings (please see the Convivium Supplement 2018, edited by A. Murphy, H.L. Kessler, M. Petoletti, E. Duffy and G. Milanese ), and undertaking new research paths,…
Read MoreThe Roman Hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia and the symbolic Communication of the Veronica
Gisela Drossbach (Augsburg) Abstract In my paper I will focus on the following aspects: The genesis of the hospital and the Order of the Holy Ghost in the context of the papal letter of Innocent III concerning the Veronica (1208), as well as , the image of the Veronica in the “Liber Regulae”, the splendid…
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‘Veronica’ images in England c.1240-c.1280
Nigel Morgan (University of Cambridge) Abstract It has long been well-known that Matthew Paris, Benedictine monk of St Albans and chronicler, made two drawings of what he considered to be the image of the Veronica Head of Christ (Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 16 and 26). One of these is accompanied by prayers. The earliest date…
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The iconography of the Veronica in the Lombardy area during the 14th century
Stefano Candiani (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) Abstract The paper contributes to knowledge of the iconography of the Veronica in the figurative arts in 14th century Lombardy, with special emphasis on images from illuminated manuscripts and depictions found in the Ambrosian diocese. The starting point is a miniature from a little known Ambrosian Book of…
Read More‘True Image’? Versions of the Veronica in Medieval England
Barry Windeatt (University of Cambridge) Abstract Taking its starting point from Julian of Norwich’s knowledgeable reference to the nature of ‘the holy Vernicle of Rome’ when interpreting her enigmatic second revelation, this paper charts the development of the Veronica in English writing and visual culture from before the Norman Conquest to the later Middle Ages. …
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Images of the Veronica in Religious Books of the Laity: Their Provenance and Meaning
Hanneke Van Asperen (Nijmegen) Abstract Manuscripts for lay devotion, often books of hours, sometimes contain small images of the Veronica that were added to the book after its production, probably by the book owner at the time. Attachment to the book did not always guarantee survival of the fragile pictures. Occasionally, the images are still…
Read MorePhilip the Good and the Face of Christ
Kathryn Rudy (University of St Andrews and Getty Research Institute) In the fifteenth century the Face of Christ found an enthusiastic devotee at the Burgundian court. Philip the Good (1396-1467) owned his grandfather’s immense prayerbook, known as the Grandes Heures. His grandfather, Philip the Bold (1342-1404), had used the manuscript heavily. All of the inherited…
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Veronica Conference 