Sater belaagt een man met een spiegel 1710 - 1759

Jan Wandelaar created this etching, "Satyr Harassing a Man with a Mirror," sometime in the early 18th century, a period defined by the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and order, yet still captivated by classical mythology. Here, Wandelaar illustrates a scene where a satyr—a creature of unrestrained desires—confronts a man with a mirror. The mirror, traditionally a symbol of vanity and self-awareness, becomes a tool of torment in the satyr's hands. Is the satyr forcing the man to confront his own mortality, his own desires? Or is the satyr merely mocking human frailty? The scene raises questions about identity, particularly the struggle between our base instincts and our attempts at self-control. Wandelaar uses the mythological to ask: how do we see ourselves, and how are we seen by others? How do societal expectations shape our self-perception, and what happens when our hidden desires are brought to light?