`True likeness' of Christ

Christian Century, Sept 11, 2002

SEVERAL LEGENDS circulated in medieval Europe about the source of a "true likeness" of Christ. According to some stories, an image of Christ's face was retrieved from a towel on which Christ had dried his face. Another legend concerned an ancient emerald onto which the profile of Christ had been carved.

The Grand Sultan of Constantinople presented the emerald to Pope Innocent VIII in 1492 for a political favor. The portrait above, painted in England, reflects this event and the legend of the emerald. The painting is in oil on oak and dates from the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509). It is part of the exhibit "Icons or Portraits? Images of Jesus and Mary from the Collection of Michael Hall" at the Gallery of the American Bible Society in New York. The exhibit runs through November 16. A full-color catalogue of the 114 works on display is available for $45.00 from the ABS bookstore.