Christ fallen to the ground under the weight of the cross, with two men assisting and Saint Veronica kneeling with the veil at left 1724 - 1734

Curator: This engraving by Simon de la Vallée, made sometime between 1724 and 1734, depicts "Christ fallen to the ground under the weight of the cross, with two men assisting and Saint Veronica kneeling with the veil at left." It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first thought is of the brutal physical reality conveyed here. The strain on Christ's body as he collapses is almost palpable. What strikes you most about this particular print? Curator: Immediately, my attention is drawn to the reproduction of labor. De la Vallée's print wasn't produced in isolation. What sources, which tools, what commissions enabled his workshop to complete this piece? Also, the image obviously aims to evoke religious experience within the viewer; yet this aim hinges on highly specific techniques—a skilled engraver manipulating metal plates. Editor: Precisely! And consider the veil held by Saint Veronica. This object is saturated with symbolism—the miraculous imprint of Christ’s face! It embodies both divine suffering and divine presence through the relic it produced, yet it is also a cloth woven with physical threads. Curator: That interplay interests me too. It prompts thinking about Baroque's visual vocabulary; the sweeping dynamism contrasted against tangible materials, such as the ink transferred to paper that constructs depth through line variation. Also consider the print’s function in circulating Sachhi’s original tableau to new viewers. Editor: Indeed. Prints like these facilitated the widespread dissemination of devotional images. Each figure has a purpose. Each person embodies emotional impact, psychological burden. Veronica carries a sacred symbol, bridging the earthly with the divine. It pulls on common themes: faith, sacrifice, and witness. It reinforces these values into its original, intended audience, perhaps more directly. Curator: The work also asks: How are we impacted through distribution in an image economy? How many more view this image versus the original in oils? I wonder if it alters or re-centers Baroque principles due to its newfound context. Editor: I think it's important to contemplate this era and how the artwork impacted cultural memory. I have enjoyed discussing that the images become imbued over time with renewed or heightened meaning through symbols or impressions, not to only speak of the period, but its lasting impression of that very moment. Curator: I think looking into labor and its cultural impacts help explain the creation of the work, the source from which to extract more analysis and perhaps a wider range of the emotional intentions within.