The Sudarium Displayed by an Angel
Original title: The Sudarium Displayed by an Angel
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's 1516 etching, titled 'Das Schweißtuch, von einem Engel gezeigt', centers on a large angel displaying the Sudarium, the cloth of Veronica. This monochrome print on light paper is one of the artist's religious graphics.
Description
A large angel with outspread wings dominates the upper half of the image, holding up a voluminous cloth that cascades in intricate, undulating folds. Smaller winged angel heads hover around him, some only faintly visible. Below, a group of angels gathers; one holds a lance and gazes upward. The layout is vertical: the main angel commands the upper center, while the cloth forms a broad horizontal axis. Dense clouds surround the figures and fill the background and lower area.
Context
Dürer created this etching in 1516, a period when he was deeply engaged with printmaking and designed numerous religious motifs. The Sudarium, the cloth of Veronica, was a cherished devotional subject in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The Nuremberg-based artist already enjoyed international renown and frequently turned to the Passion of Christ in his prints.
Impact
The monumental presence of the main angel and the dense cloudscape evoke a solemn, sublime mood. Fine etched lines give the cloth an almost textile softness, emphasizing the motif's spiritual significance. The angels arrange themselves around the cloth so that the viewer's gaze is inevitably drawn to the sacred object.
Technique
Dürer used acid to bite the lines into the plate for this etching, achieving fine, precise strokes and a broad range of tonal values that model the cloth's folds and the surrounding clouds. The resulting print on paper measures 18.7 x 13.3 cm and is trimmed slightly within the plate edge, so the etched lines sit close to the sheet's border.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)