Spanish school of the XVII century. Lot n° 7

Spanish school of the XVII century. "The Holy Face". Oil on copper. Andalusian gilt frame. Support of the nineteenth century, ca. 1830. Measurements: 19 x 11 cm; 33 x 29 cm (frame). In this devotional image painted in oil on copper the image of the face of Christ is represented, captured with a certain serenity that is far from the dramatization as a trace of the passion of the passion of Christ. Jesus does not wear the crown of thorns, nor does he have blood stains that show suffering or fatigue, but looks directly at the viewer with a serious and emphatic gesture, but at the same time serene and calm. It is an image of Christ as savior and redeemer. The iconography of the Holy Face has its origin in the episode that occurred during the Passion of Christ, when on the way to Calvary a woman took off her veil to wipe the face of the Messiah with it. The image of the face of Jesus Christ was imprinted on the linen handkerchief, and it was miraculously preserved through the centuries, becoming an object of worship. The woman would later be called Veronica, whose etymology derives from the Latin "verum" (true) and the Greek "eikon" (image). The Holy Face is one of the most famous relics of Christianity, first described in 1137.