According to the Bible, St. Veronica was the woman who wiped Christ's brow after he fell during his passion. His image is said to have been permanently imprinted on her veil. The veil of Veronica is believed to be a relic here at St. Peter's and this is the image by which to identify St. Veronica in art.
The sculptor, Bernini, was the master of creating fluidity and movement out of stone replicating the folds and draping of fabric. As you can see from this sculpture, St. Veronica's robes and veil appear to be blowing wildly in the wind. In art, the Holy Spirit is portrayed in as the wind, or puff or breath of air. So the combination of subject matter and presentation was a way to convey her sainthood to the masses.
As everything else in St. Peter's, it is impressively large at probably over 14 feet tall.
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