Naked Young Woman in Front of a Mirror
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The exact meaning of [[Giovanni Bellini]]'s picture ''[[The Mirror]]'', (c.1510) is unclear. Had the subject been painted by an [[Impressionism|Impressionist]] painter, it would be quite unnecessary to ascribe a meaning. But in this Renaissance work, there is the presence of a mirror, an object that is usually symbolic and which suggests an allegory. The young lady's nakedness is a sign not so much of seduction, as innocence and vulnerability. However, she decks herself out in an extremely rich headdress, stitched with pearls, and having not one, but two mirrors, sees only herself reflected endlessly. The mirror, often a symbol of prophecy, here becomes an object of vanity, with the young woman in the role of [[Narcissus]]. | The exact meaning of [[Giovanni Bellini]]'s picture ''[[The Mirror]]'', (c.1510) is unclear. Had the subject been painted by an [[Impressionism|Impressionist]] painter, it would be quite unnecessary to ascribe a meaning. But in this Renaissance work, there is the presence of a mirror, an object that is usually symbolic and which suggests an allegory. The young lady's nakedness is a sign not so much of seduction, as innocence and vulnerability. However, she decks herself out in an extremely rich headdress, stitched with pearls, and having not one, but two mirrors, sees only herself reflected endlessly. The mirror, often a symbol of prophecy, here becomes an object of vanity, with the young woman in the role of [[Narcissus]]. | ||
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+ | Oil on canvas, 62 x 79 cm, [[Kunsthistorisches Museum]], Vienna | ||
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Naked Young Woman in Front of the Mirror, Bellini's first female nude, painted when he was about 85 years old, circa 1515.
The exact meaning of Giovanni Bellini's picture The Mirror, (c.1510) is unclear. Had the subject been painted by an Impressionist painter, it would be quite unnecessary to ascribe a meaning. But in this Renaissance work, there is the presence of a mirror, an object that is usually symbolic and which suggests an allegory. The young lady's nakedness is a sign not so much of seduction, as innocence and vulnerability. However, she decks herself out in an extremely rich headdress, stitched with pearls, and having not one, but two mirrors, sees only herself reflected endlessly. The mirror, often a symbol of prophecy, here becomes an object of vanity, with the young woman in the role of Narcissus.
Oil on canvas, 62 x 79 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna