Face of Christ on St Veronica's cloth.

Engraving, 43,4 x 31,8 cm, wove paper, signed and dated in the plate at bottom left: "C MELLAN G. P. ET F. IN AEDIBUS REG. / 1649" (trimmed to platemark, small holes and damages, tears on the edges, traces of mounting on verso.).

Later impression from the original plate. A milestone in the history of printmaking.

This print reveals Mellan's exceptional skills as an engraver. The entire image is made from a single, continuous, spiraling line, only varied in width. This technical feat is underlined by the inscription "FORMATVR VNICVS VNA / NON ALTER".
Ref. IFF 17e XVII, pp. 46-47, 21.