Illustration til O. Specter, "Fabler for Børn" 1838

Vilhelm Kyhn etched this illustration for O. Specter’s "Fabler for Børn," showing a young girl using a bundle of grain to dust a mirror. This act of cleaning, seemingly simple, echoes a deeper human impulse to purify and reflect. The mirror itself is a potent symbol, isn't it? Throughout art history, from vanitas paintings to modern cinema, mirrors reflect not just our image but our souls, our mortality, and our hidden selves. Think of how Caravaggio used mirrors as a means to observe and capture fleeting expressions! Here, however, it is not reflecting but being cleansed. This act perhaps carries the weight of a desire to purify one’s image, suggesting a reaching towards an ideal self. The gesture of cleaning, too, is hardly new. From ancient rituals of purification to the everyday act of sweeping one’s home, the emotional significance of bringing order to chaos resonates profoundly.