Claude Mellan

(French, 1598–1688)

The Sudarium of Saint Veronica, 1649
Engraving
Museum purchase with funds donated by Lucie G. Nelson '77 PhD in memory of Lucie and Hugh Grant

The story of Veronica’s veil describes the miraculous image of Christ imprinted on her veil after she wiped blood and sweat from his face as he carried the cross to Calvary. This impression echoes the act of printmaking, whereby Christ’s face takes the place of the printmaking matrix, and direct contact and pressure leaves a printed image on the veil. In Mellan’s rendition, the image is manifested through a single continuous spiraling line which begins at the tip of Christ’s nose, with subtle variations in pressure and depth carved into the copper plate with a burin, allowing this image to “miraculously” appear. As one moves closer or further from the image, it appears to slightly pulse or vibrate. The near-regularity of his spiraling line creates an optical illusion similar to the moiré effect which is more commonly observed in contemporary silkscreen or photomechanical printmaking processes. This was part of a larger trend in 17th-century engraving, where printmakers sought to assert their technical mastery and individuality through the creation of interference effects with patterns and intersections of engraved lines.

- Colin Lyons, assistant professor of art and design

This intaglio print by French artist Claude Mellan is a virtuosic example of early modern engraving. It depicts the veil (or sudarium) of St. Veronica, the cloth on which Christ’s face miraculously appeared after he used it to wipe his brow. Sudarium, a Latin term, refers to a cloth used to wipe sweat from the face. In Christian visual culture, St. Veronica is associated with kindness and generosity, and she is the patron saint of photographers and laundry workers. Traditionally, St. Veronica appears alongside her sudarium containing the miraculous image, but here Mellan makes the unusual choice not to depict Veronica at all – only her cloth. Mellan deploys a masterful trompe l'oeil illusion in his image so that Christ’s face seems to almost float above the cloth. Subtle details, from the reflected glint in Christ’s eye to the curled edge of the cloth, add depth and verisimilitude to the image.

- Katherine Reinhart, assistant professor of art history

This print is currently on view in the Main Gallery.

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