Image Not Made By Hands, or Holy Mandylion, The

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Image Not Made By Hands, or Holy Mandylion, The

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.083

Description

Tempera painting on wood panel with a red and brown border. The central image shows a portrait of Christ's head with long brown hair and beard with a gold leaf halo rimmed in red with Christ's initials in Church Slavonic. The image is shown on a background of white cloth. The reverse side wood is very cracked and chipping.

Type of Painting

Panel

Collection

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2005.02

Source or Donor

Betsy Scheuring

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Made/Created

Date made

1917 - 1950

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Sticker

Location

Reverse of icon #48

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Icon

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Symbol, Religious

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Religious Objects

Nomenclature Class

Ceremonial Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

4-3/4 in

Width

3-3/4 in

Exhibition

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

The image “Not Made By Hands” is often confused with the Roman Catholic story of St. Veronica’s veil. However, in the Eastern tradition this miraculous type of image came about when King Abgar of Edessa fell ill and sent a messenger to Jesus Christ, requesting healing. Jesus touched a cloth to his face, imprinting his image upon it and sent it to the King. Abgar was healed by the cloth, but still maintained some of his former illness until Thaddeus (a disciple of Christ) baptized him. This image of the Holy Mandylion was executed in a traditional Byzantine style. Both the head of Christ and the cloth on which it appears are highly formalized with a linear emphasis. In the image, no attempt has been made to suggest significant depth or model the form three-dimensionally. The image of Christ’s face appears against a gold and red halo that bears the abbreviated Greek form of this name. The Image Not Made by Human Hands was a popular subject with the Russian Army.