The glistening varnish and certain surface irregularities created a play of light that produced the appearance of weeping. A religious supplicant predisposed to see tears...could, especially if carrying a candle, see in the resultant glimmering in the tiny eyes, aided by vertical cracks and other streaks, the effect of tears.

Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures (1993, 1998)