The painting shows what in Christian tradition has been called “the true portrait of Christ”, an imprint of the face of Jesus on linen cloth. It is said to have arisen miraculously when a woman, Veronica, wiped sweat and blood from Jesus on his way to Golgotha. Zurbarán painted the cloth in a dramatic sidelight, creating a contrast with the dark background. Its folds form a frame around a human portrait of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.