Episode at Lyme Regis

There was an apocryphal story that St. Veronica took pity on Christ carrying the cross and lent him her veil so he could wipe his face. When he returned it to her, the image of his face was miraculously imprinted on it.

There are a number of mostly Renaissance paintings of this saint and Richard was doubtless familiar with these pictures, perhaps the Hans Memling version c.1470 (now in the National Gallery of Art,Washington). He obviously liked the idea and was inspired to transport it to the familiar 20th century setting in Lyme Regis.

The wind which is suddenly gusting across the street is a sign here of a spiritual event. Gusts of wind have the same symbolic effect in The Mandala (1969), A Judgement (1951) and Sails and Crucifix (1951).