In this remarkable print, Claude Mellan, one of the foremost engravers of the 17th century, achieved a technical and artistic feat by producing an image in a single spiral cut (starting from the tip of the nose) by turning the plate constantly as he engraved.
He achieved different tones by varying the depth and width of the cut. Mellan, who was trained in Paris and Rome, engraved many portraits as well as religious subjects including, here, the Sudarium of Saint Veronica which was supposedly used to wipe Jesus’ face during the carrying of the cross, and which is said to have kept the mark of his features.