Allegorie: een zich kappende dame bij de spiegel 1788 - 1841

Sigmund Ferdinand Ritter von Perger created this drawing of a woman before a mirror. The mirror, a symbol of vanity, reflection, and truth, dominates the scene. The woman, adorned with a rose—a token of love and beauty—gazes at her reflection, a gesture that harkens back to classical myths like that of Narcissus, forever captivated by his own image. This scene echoes through art history; we see similar motifs in Renaissance vanitas paintings, where mirrors reflect the fleeting nature of beauty. Consider how these symbols resonate through time, evolving from religious allegories to secular reflections on mortality and self-awareness. The emotional weight of self-contemplation, the subtle tension between beauty and decay, engages us on a subconscious level. The mirror, the rose, the act of gazing—each resurfaces, transformed yet familiar, in the theater of human experience.