Anthony of Padua, Veronica's Veil with Eucharist and Death's Heads

Mid-16th century
Fresco
Church of St. Roch, Draguč, Croatia

This work is a remarkable meditation on the Eucharist and its relation to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Above the chalice an image of the Crucifixion is "imprinted" on the host. Above that, Veronica's veil bears blood stains in addition to the customary Holy Face, the battered face of the same person whose body the faithful believe to be the substance of the Eucharist. The skulls flanking the chalice, common symbols of transience, also refer to Golgotha, the "place of the skull" where Jesus was crucified.

The artist Anthony of Padua (1529-73) is of course not the saint of the same name.

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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.