Saint Veronica Displaying the Sudarium c. 1428 - 1430

Robert Campin painted *Saint Veronica Displaying the Sudarium* sometime before 1430. Campin invites us into the world of the early Renaissance, a period marked by shifting social structures where art begins to reflect a more individualized and human-centered view. Veronica, with her simple headdress, presents the sudarium. This cloth bears an image of Christ's face, miraculously imprinted after she offered it to wipe his brow on the way to Calvary. This moment of compassion transcends the purely divine; it is an act of human kindness, rendered with an emotional depth. The dark face on the cloth is the face of suffering but also resilience, echoing the stories of many whose likenesses are often relegated to the margins. It is a testament to the power of representation, a potent symbol of empathy that asks us to consider whose stories are told and whose are erased. The artwork, with its careful rendering and symbolic weight, prompts reflection on faith, humanity, and the stories we choose to immortalize.