Dood verrast een vrouw voor een spiegel c. 1530 - 1580

This print, created by the anonymous artist known as the Monogrammist M, depicts a woman, possibly vanity, admiring her reflection in a mirror. Death, holding an hourglass, observes her from the left, suggesting the fleeting nature of life and beauty. The inscription "Mortalia Pacta Peribunt" (Mortal pacts will perish), reinforces this memento mori theme. The print’s composition, with its focus on the woman's pose and the mirror's reflection, creates a sense of vanity and the passing of time. This artwork is a powerful reminder of the human condition and the inevitability of death.