Capital with Angels Holding the Veil of Saint Veronica, with a Column

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The face portrayed on Veronica’s veil was the Vera Icon (true portrait of Christ). According to legend, when Veronica wiped Jesus’ face as he was led to Calvary, his image was miraculously imprinted on the cloth, which was eventually taken to Saint Peter’s in Rome. Such images were intended to inspire meditation through visual identification with Christ’s likeness.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art