There are no shortage of theories that explain the existence of The Shroud of Turin, a burial cloth that many believe rested upon the face of Jesus Christ. A new hypothesis has been brought forth by artist Lillian Schwartz, known for theorizing that the Mona Lisa may be Leonardi Da Vinci in drag.

This new theory suggests that Leonardo Da Vinci may have created the Shroud of Turin:

Times of India:

According to the study, the Renaissance artist created the artefact by using pioneering photographic techniques and a sculpture of his own head—in fact, it suggests the image on the relic is da Vinci’s face which could have been projected onto the cloth, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The claims are made in a TV documentary that describes how da Vinci could have scorched his facial features on to the linen using a sculpture of his and face and a camera obscura—an early photographic device. The programme says the fabric could have been hung over a frame in a blacked-out room and coated with silver sulphate, a substance readily available in 15th century Italy which would have made it light-sensitive.

When the sun’s rays passed through a lens in one of the walls, da Vinci’s facial shape and features would have been projected on to the material, creating a permanent image.