The Sudarium of Saint Veronica

anonymous, c. 1450

When Christ carried his cross to Calvary, he wiped the sweat from his face with a veil given to him by Veronica. The image of his features became imprinted on the cloth. This miraculous vera icon or ‘true image’ developed into the ‘standard portrait’ of Christ. It was a favourite subject of devotional art in the 15th century.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-3994
  • Dimensionsheight 39.5 cm x width 29 cm
  • Physical characteristicstempera on panel

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • St Veronica's cloth
    • The Sudarium of Saint Veronica

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-3994

  • Description

    De beeltenis van Christus op de zweetdoek van de heilige Veronica.

Creation

  • Creation

    • painter: anonymous, Venice
    • painter: anonymous, Siena
    • painter: Carlo Crivelli [rejected attribution]

  • Dating

    c. 1450

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    tempera on panel

  • Dimensions

    height 39.5 cm x width 29 cm

This work is about

  • Subject

Acquisition and rights

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    …; collection Prof. Dr Otto Lanz (1865-1935), Amsterdam, 1914;{Swarzenski 1914, p. 88, image 1.} his widow, Anna Theresia Elisabeth Lanz - Willi (1870 - 1954), Amsterdam, 1935; from whom, CHF 2,000,000 and fl. 350,000, with xx other paintings, to Hans Posse (1879-1942), for Adolf Hitler’s Führermuseum, Linz, through the mediation of the dealer N. Katz, 1941;{Van Os 1978, p. 167.} war recuperation, SNK, 15 february 1946 (inv. no. NK 2323);{Provenance from 1935 to 1945 reconstructed by Ekkart et al. 2006; MCCP website, file card no. 3846; the Munich Central Collecting Point number 3846 is recorded in blue on the reverse of the panel.} on loan from the DRVK to the museum, 1952 (inv. no. SK-C-1421); transferred to the museum, 1960

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

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