Ariana Jumper: Van der Leeuw, image, and the Veronica Cloth 10/20/09

Van der Leeuw (2006) states that image is the representation of the form which is a central principle to theology and art (p. 329). The painter attempts to represent reality in a way that will reveal the true form to the observer what is behind reality. The representation is meant to show us the spiritual world that exists within and behind the world that we perceive (Van der Leeuw, 2006, p. 330). God is the form represented through his son Jesus. We cannot see God, but through the reality of Jesus, God revealed himself through his son, Jesus.

The Veronica Cloth is part of Catholic tradition. It is created during Jesus’s journey to Calvary and is represented in the Stations of the Cross, but not the Bible. Veronica wiped the face of Jesus with her vail and, because of her kindness, Jesus left the image of his face on her veil. The Veronica Cloth reveals the true from. It is an image of Jesus through which we can see the power of his form. Jesus performed many miracles throughout his life. One of which was the Veronica Cloth. The miracles Jesus performed helped the world to see the true form of God represented in his son. The miracle of the Veronica Cloth left the world with an image of Jesus, the representation of the image of God. In this image, the world could see the suffering that occurred in order to have everlasting salvation. The power of Jesus, and therefore the power of God, can be seen in this cloth through its lasting property. Over the years, the image has remained on the cloth. It has aged, but the suffering can still be seen. When Jesus could not and would not overcome death in order to save the world, he left his image with us as a representation of the suffering he had to endure to give the world everlasting life. The spiritual power of God that was manifested through Jesus in the creation of this image gives the image a sublime effect. The miracle of the creation of the image is beautiful, but the power that was used to create it is humbling and frightening. God created his son as a representation of himself. Through the Veronica Cloth, the world can forever see the true form of God through the representation of his son. While Jesus himself is no longer on earth in his true form, the representation of himself through the Veronica Cloth provides the world, past, present, and future, with a connection to the true form of God.