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Saint Veronica’s Veil

Jacopo Amigoni

Basic information

ID: Ж-1802
Author: Jacopo Amigoni
Name: Saint Veronica’s Veil
Technique: oil painting
Material: duplicated canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 85 x 118.5

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: religious
Plot: Veil of Veronica
Provenance: Collection of Wiktor Baworowski
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Jacopo Amigoni
Artist's lifetime: 1682–1752
Country: Italy
Biography: Jacopo Amigoni (1682–1752) was a peripatetic artist of the 18th century, representing the Rococo style. He painted mythological and religious subjects, frescoes, and portraits and engaged in graphic art. Amigoni was born in Venice. He studied painting under Antonio Balestra and later under Antonio Bellucci. The artist frequently travelled throughout Europe, studying painting in Dusseldorf and Rome. He worked as an artist at the court of Emperor Joseph I in Vienna and later at the Bavarian court. During this time, he decorated numerous castles and created many paintings. Amigoni spent the next ten years in England, where he succeeded. In 1747, the author returned to Venice and later moved to Madrid, where he eventually became the Spanish king's "first painter". Amigoni was greatly influenced by the works of Sebastiano Ricci, who meticulously copied Paolo Veronese in a simplified decorative style, and by the works of Giovanni Tiepolo. The artist's paintings gained popularity throughout Europe, and his contemporaries considered him the last great virtuoso artist.

Object description

The legend of Veronica's veil inspired many artists of different eras to create similar paintings. According to the Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich's revelations, the woman from Jerusalem who wiped Christ's suffering face was called Seraphia. When she saw Jesus carrying the cross to Golgotha, the woman felt pity for him and offered her veil to wipe the blood and sweat from his face. His face was imprinted on the veil, and Seraphia was given the name Veronica for her devotion, which is considered an anagram of the expression "true image" ("icona vera"). Later the relic became known as the "Veil of Saint Veronica". The Gallery received this work by Jacopo Amigoni along with the Baworowski Library's collection. The painting depicts a white cloth with the Lord's face and four angels in the form of children adoring the relic. Amigoni executed the work in the Rococo style masterfully and theatrically. The artist paid great attention to details.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Saint Veronica’s Veil

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