Claude Mellan
(France 1598–1688)
- Title
- The veil of St Veronica
- Other titles:
- The sudarium of St Veronica
The Holy Face - Year
- 1649
- Media category
- Materials used
- engraving
- Dimensions
-
43.0 x 31.8cm
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.l., [incised plate] "c Mellan ...1649".
- Credit
- Accessioned 1997
- Accession number
- 340.1997
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
The face of Christ is conjured from one continuous spiralling line that starts at the tip of the nose. While Christ was carrying the Cross to Calvary, Veronica wiped the blood and sweat from His face with her veil, leaving a miraculous imprint on it. The inscription on the print 'Formatur Unicus Una / Non Alter' (the unique one made by one / no other) was devised by the artist's friend, Michel de Marolles. He explained it as "alluding to the beauty of the only son of the Eternal Father, born of a Virgin, and to the single spiralling line…'Non Alter', because there is no one else who looks like Christ and because the engraver of this image had produced such a masterpiece, that anyone else would have great difficulty equalling his achievement".
- Bibliography (3)
-
Irena Zdanowicz (Australia, b.1946) (Author), Masters of emotion, Mornington, 2007, 10 (colour illus.). NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression; cat.no. 21; plate no. 5 from the NGV collection.
Peter Raissis (Australia) (Author), Le Grand Siècle, Sydney, 1997, 5, 6 (illus.), 8. no catalogue numbers
'The holy face' by Robyn Backen, pg. 348-349., Art and Australia (Vol. 36, No. 3) 1999, 1999, 348, 349 (illus.).
- Exhibition history (3)
-
Le Grand Siècle, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 16 Jun 1997–17 Jul 1997.
Light from Shadow, the role of chiaroscuro in spatial imaging, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, 22 Oct 2003–29 Nov 2003.
Old Europe: Prints & drawings from the collection 1500-1800, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Jun 2006–06 Aug 2006.
