Road to Calvary, at center Veronica kneels before Christ and holding the Sudarium

Art Historical Context

This etching, titled *Road to Calvary*, captures a poignant moment from the Passion of Christ. At the center, Saint Veronica kneels before Jesus, offering her veil—the Sudarium—which miraculously retains the imprint of his face. Created around 1656–1660, the print is attributed to Coryn Boel, a Flemish engraver, and draws on a composition associated with the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Cariani (also known as Giovanni Busi). As an etching, the work exemplifies the medium’s power in the seventeenth century to spread religious imagery widely and affordably. Fine lines and tonal contrasts allow the artist to convey both the solemn procession and the intimate, compassionate encounter between Christ and Veronica, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of mercy and sacrifice. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this sheet (acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1962) preserves a dramatic Baroque interpretation of a beloved biblical narrative, blending Italian pictorial tradition with Northern European printmaking skill.

About the Artist

Giovanni Cariani (Giovanni Busi)|Coryn Boel (Italian|Dutch) · 1485 |1617 –1547 |1668

Italian, San Giovanni Bianco ca. 1485–after 1547 Venice|Dutch, Antwerp ca. 1622–1668 Brussels