Station 6: A Holy Woman Wipes Jesus’ Face
Henri Matisse
Date:
1951
Medium:
Black enamel brushwork on ceramic panel
Visual Description:
Station 6 is positioned near the right of the center row, measuring approximately two tiles high and three tiles wide. In this Stations of the Cross story, Veronica, a woman along Jesus’ path to his crucifixion, stepped in and wiped his face with a cloth, which left an impression of it behind. The Station shows the outline of Jesus’ face. The eyes, nose, and mouth are all represented by a few quick black brushstrokes, and the abstracted head does not have ears. It is also shown without hair, in contrast to more traditional representations of Jesus with his long hair and beard. The face is framed by a square, draped at the top and marked by two triangular, bow-like forms at the upper corners, evoking a stretched and hanging cloth. This is the only figure in Matisse’s Stations of the Cross mural that shows facial features.
BMA
Additional Audio
Transcript
[Fr. Josemaría Guzmán-Domínguez] The Sixth Station. In this moment in Christian tradition, a woman
comes and wipes the face of Jesus lovingly to get the sweat and blood off his face. And the face of Jesus, it
leaves an imprint on the cloth. And so, in this Station, we remember and commemorate the faces of all those
who are suffering.
Let us pray. Almighty and ever-loving God, we feel your love and understanding in the consolation and
support we receive from one another. Give us, we beg You, the courage and dedication to sacrifice and suffer
with those who are in need, the least of your people. Amen.
