Starting from the identification and analysis of common points between the different stories of origin of the icons so-called "acheiropoieta" (or "not made by human hands"), the article wants to give an account of the theological implications of such cycles of legends, true "founding myths" of the Christian image. The article identifies some shared features and themes in the stories – related in particular the miraculous specificities of the “acheiropoieton” image, the inability of the artist to paint the face of the Lord, the particular quality of the image “not made by human hands” to be vicar on earth of the model, the Christological and redemptive beauty inspiration – in order to highlight the line of continuity linking the icons “not made by human hands” to the anthropological status of the image and art.