The vera icon, i. e. the image of the Holy Face which has its origin in Christ pressing his face into a cloth, claims to show Christ in his real historical appearance and thus to allow the believers a quasi-immediate contact with god himself. It has therefore been posited an object holding the capacity to cross the line between presence and representation. The legend of Veronica and her cloth is taken up by nearly all late medieval Passion Plays, which on their part stand between liturgy and theatre. The precarious mediality of both holy image and religious drama is increased as well as reflected on within the framework of the Veronica scenes: One medium mirrors the other, and the Passion Play structurally turns out to be some kind of vera icon itself.


















Comments (0)