Shaving Mirror 1936

Editor: This is Dana Bartlett’s “Shaving Mirror” from 1936, rendered in watercolor. I'm struck by how ordinary and domestic the subject is, but how ornate the frame is with its foliage of grapes and leaves. What symbols jump out at you in this image? Curator: I'm fascinated by the image of grapes, evoking ancient Roman imagery, Bacchus, god of wine, theatre, and fertility, reflecting life's pleasures and even excesses. Their presence on a shaving mirror introduces a certain irony. This juxtaposition speaks volumes. Editor: I see what you mean! A shaving mirror is about daily routine, almost the opposite of Bacchanalian revelry. So is this then a meditation on mortality or vanity? Curator: Perhaps! Mirrors themselves are rich symbols, not merely reflections of reality but also portals. Consider Snow White or Alice Through the Looking Glass. The mirror frame adorned with grapes may signify something deeper. Are we meant to savor each day? To indulge, even in the most mundane activities, in the beauty life offers? Editor: That's a beautiful way to frame it, to seek joy in everyday rituals. Do you think that placement near where one confronts one's self emphasizes some sort of deeper philosophical point about self-perception? Curator: Precisely. And what about the empty, pale reflection? What is really there in the looking glass. Perhaps our mortality. Or what we think is essential is really fleeting and temporal. Editor: I hadn’t considered the symbolism of the pale reflection. Thinking about how the iconography complicates an everyday object certainly enriches the work's meaning. Curator: Exactly! Each element in the drawing builds a narrative around routine and reflection.