Allegorie met vrouwelijke personificaties van onder andere de waarheid en mogelijk deugden en ondeugden 1736

This allegory, etched by François van Bleyswijck around the turn of the 18th century, presents a rich tableau of virtues and vices. Dominating the upper scene, the radiant figure of Truth carries a mirror, an ancient symbol of clarity and self-reflection, meant to reveal all. This motif of the mirror reappears across cultures, from classical antiquity to Renaissance art, each time echoing humanity's quest for self-awareness. Yet, its reflective nature also carries a darker implication: what if the reflection shows us something we do not wish to see? The woman writing carries a pen, representing the inscription of laws. Note how the base of the image is littered with jewelry and religious objects, and, at the woman's feet, a dark-skinned woman looks upwards. These are not simply representations; they are condensations of ideas, charged with emotional and psychological weight. The cyclical progression of the mirror’s symbolism, from a simple object of reflection to a profound symbol of self-discovery and potential disillusionment, highlights how images evolve, resurface, and take on new layers of meaning across the epochs.