The legend of Saint Veronica is a common topic of retablos. Veronica
was a woman who was moved by the sight of Christ on His way to
Calvary. Pushing her way through the crowd, she wiped the blood and
sweat from His face with her veil. The imprint of Christ's face was
left on the veil.
It seems probable that the name Veronica was applied to the legendary
woman because of the image on the veil, for Verónica is derived from
ver icon or "true image". While the actual person of Veronica never
appears in Mexican retablos, it is the image of Christ on the cloth
that represents her story. Occasionally, the instruments of the
Passion are included on or around the veil, and there is a tendency to
display a great amount of blood on the face of Christ.
The Veil of Veronica represents the imprint of Jesus in our hearts and
is associated with the healing of hemorrhages.