Artwork
Saint Veronica between Saints Peter and Paul
Saint Veronica between Saints Peter and Paul is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in block, upper center: 1510; in block, bottom center: AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 627; verso, bottom left, in graphite by a later hand: B 38; verso, bottom center, in graphite by a later hand: 23
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The woodcut portrays Saint Veronica flanked by Saints Peter and Paul. Veronica holds her veil, the primary subject of the work, which bears the Holy Face of Jesus. Peter and Paul frame the central figure, while the veil itself functions as a symbol of divine presence and the miraculous preservation of Christ's image.
Technique & Style
The print was produced using the woodcut technique on laid paper. It is classified as a religious print of the German Renaissance, depicting the Veil of Veronica alongside Saints Peter and Paul, and reflects Albrecht Dürer's mastery of line and composition in rendering sacred subjects.
History & Provenance
Its documented provenance begins with Joseph Daniel Böhm in Vienna, followed by Robert Scholtz in Budapest, and the New York dealer William Schab.
Albrecht Dürer created the woodcut Saint Veronica between Saints Peter and Paul in 1510. The print is executed on laid paper and belongs to the German Renaissance.
Its documented provenance begins with Joseph Daniel Böhm in Vienna, followed by Robert Scholtz in Budapest, and the New York dealer William Schab. In 1940 Lessing J. Rosenwald of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, acquired the woodcut, and in 1943 he gave it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains as part of the Rosenwald Collection.
Overview
Albrecht Dürer’s woodcut, dated 1510, presents a devotional scene in which Saint Veronica stands centrally, flanked by the apostles Peter and Paul. Executed on laid paper, the print combines intricate line work with a clear compositional hierarchy, emphasizing the central figure of the Holy Face of Christ held by Veronica.
Context
In 1510, Dürer was responding to the growing demand for devotional imagery that could be reproduced affordably. The inclusion of Saint Veronica, a figure associated with the Passion, aligns the work with contemporary meditative practices, while the pairing with Peter and Paul reflects the theological emphasis on apostolic succession prevalent in the era’s Catholic tradition.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
Christ Appearing to His Mother
Saints Peter and Paul with the Vernicle
Veronica
Saint Helena, Saint Brigitta and Saint Elizabeth
Saint James the Less and Saint Simon
The Sudarium Held by Two Angels
Saints Peter and Paul under a Canopy
The Agony in the Garden
The Three Christian Heroines: Saints Helen, Bridget and Elizabeth
Lamentation for Christ
The Tribute Money- Saints Peter and Paul with the Sudarium