This print, “Haard met spiegel” or "Fireplace with mirror," is by an anonymous artist, and I wonder how they made it? It seems to be a kind of inventory of things, maybe a precursor to the "Ikea catalog" of its time! The image is dominated by earthy browns, and the mirror itself is ghostly, reflecting a non-existent space. The artist has included details within details. Zooming in close, I see the symmetrical floral carvings that frame the mirror. The way they are rendered, so intricate and regular, suggests to me an artisan aesthetic. A process and collaboration of many hands, rather than one. But, the rigid symmetry creates a tension, because although it's beautiful, it feels somewhat lifeless, like a stage set. I think of the sets for the films of Maya Deren, or Jean Cocteau, where similar objects become the site of dreams, and other realities.