THANK YOU!!
Since I had not visited this topic in sometime (like about five years) I decided to go digging. Here is what I have found.
I find I was somewhat wrong in my discussion above... there has been more scientific work done on the Manoppello Veil that I was not aware of... and it proves that it is not as Pfeiffer describes... and in fact probably has identified WHAT it is, HOW it was created, and WHO it is, and WHO did it! Not only that, the work of art that it is was spoken and written about by its creator and its owner contemporary with its creation... along with a description of the work.
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) was very fond of self portraits and often sent his own to others. Sometime in the early 16th Century, he sent a self portrait to his friend Raphael (1483- 1520) that was painted on a transparent cloth, visible from both sides and was described by Raphael and those who saw it as "miraculous".
"According to Vasari, Dürers self-portrait was painted in watercolour on a canvas so extremely fine that it could be seen from both the front and the back side. It was truly a piece of virtuosity, which beside immortalizing the artists features was clearly intended to show his painting skills."
Wolfram Prinz
Raphael, using the same technique and same Byssus cloth, painted his OWN portrait and sent it to Dürer.
By these and other works the fame of Raphael spread to France and Flanders. Albert Dürer, a remarkable German painter and author of some fine copper engravings, paid him the tribute of his homage and sent him his own portrait, painted in water-colours, on byssus, so fine that it was transparent, without the use of white paint, the white material forming the lights of the picture This appeared marvellous to Raphael, who sent back many drawings of his own which were greatly valued by Albert...Various persons who saw both Dürer's and Raphael's "miraculous" self-portraits described them as being made from either Byssus or Cambric. There is no consistency to the reports of either material.
Giorgio Vasari
Self Portrait of Raffaello Santi (Raphael)
c.1514
Raphael Self Portrait Gift to Dürer
now known as "Veronica's Veil"
C. 1500-1503 (?)
The Veil of Manoppello: work of art or authentic relic?
This is still research in progress but it looks very solid. As an aside, Albrecht Dürer is one of the "suspects" among those who maintain the Shroud of Turin in a "self portrait" by an artist of the period.
Wow... I'm not sure if what I'm looking at is the image; it's not what I expected it to look like at all; for instance, the veil hardly covers all of it... and, of course, it looks nothing at all like that sily, cartoonish image that's already been posted. But it DOES look a LOT like the shroud, including the moustachio (aw, hack, I'll spell it mustache and you'll all know what I mean.)
But my eyes are very good at seeing images in chaos; I also see a dove (OK, actually, it looks more like an eagle) rising above his brow which I'm sure someone would've mentionned if it were objectively present.
Nevermind... I just saw monkapotamous' comparison... it's there all right... and Wow, it looks exactly the same!
Veronica's veil is displayed annually in St. Peters basilica - I am led to believe! - have you any idea which date?