The Sudarium Held by One Angel
Original title: The Sudarium Held by One Angel
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's etching 'The Sudarium Held by an Angel' dates from 1516 and presents the veil of Veronica bearing the face of Christ, which an angel lifts up. As a print, it addresses a religious subject that points to the Passion of Christ.
Description
An angel with broadly spread wings carries the sudarium aloft in both hands; on the cloth appears the face of Christ, marked by pain and crowned with thorns. Below, smaller angels and figures are arranged in tiers, some with weapons, suggesting a heavenly assembly. Clouds form a backdrop to the event and heighten the otherworldly impression, while the symmetrical layout governs the order of the figures. Gradations of gray and delicate hatching give the sheet a rich texture.
Context
This etching was made in 1516, a phase in which Dürer engaged intensely with religious subjects and printmaking. The sudarium, the veil of Veronica, was among the widespread devotional images of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Dürer, based in Nuremberg, was already an esteemed artist and was testing various print techniques. Etching was still a young technique, which he used more frequently in later years.
Impact
Fine linework and precise rendering of figures define the sheet and create a calm yet moving aura. The symmetrical arrangement and the heavenly setting evoke a solemn devotional mood. The suffering Christ on the cloth invites the viewer to participate inwardly, as is typical of Dürer's religious works.
Technique
Dürer used etching for this work: the drawing is incised into an acid-resistant ground on a copper plate and then bitten by acid. The depth and width of the etched furrows govern the fineness of the lines and the gradations of shading that take up the ink in printing, producing a high level of detail visible especially in the faces and the clouds. Working only in black and white, this technique lets light and shadow carry the expression of suffering and the heavenly setting entirely through line.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)