Artwork
The Sudarium Held by One Angel
The Sudarium Held by One Angel is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1516 and is held in the collection of the British Museum.
About this work
The cloth is the Veil of Veronica, linked to a Christian story of Saint Veronica wiping Jesus’s face.
This etching shows an angel holding a cloth with Jesus’s face pressed into it. The lines are sharp and fine, like a drawing made with a needle. The angel’s wings look heavy, almost like real feathers.
Dürer made this in 1516. It’s an early print, not a painting. The cloth is the Veil of Veronica, linked to a Christian story of Saint Veronica wiping Jesus’s face.
Look up etching. See how Dürer did it.
Overview
The Sudarium Held by One Angel is an etching by Albrecht Dürer, created in 1516. It is a print on laid paper, depicting an angel holding a cloth with Jesus's face.
Subject & Meaning
The cloth is the Veil of Veronica, a relic associated with Saint Veronica, who wiped Jesus's face on the way to Calvary. The etching represents this Christian narrative through the angel's presentation of the veil.
Technique & Style
Dürer achieved fine, sharp lines in the etching, characteristic of the medium. The detailed rendering of the angel's wings, with a textured appearance, suggests a high level of craftsmanship.
History & Provenance
Created in 1516, this etching is an example of Dürer's work in printmaking, a medium he mastered. The date situates it within his oeuvre during a period of significant artistic production.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
