Mirror of Life
Mirror of Life
Spiegel van het leven, 1610
Theodoor Galle
In this captivating scene, a mirror bearing a skull is prominently featured in the foreground, encircled by four serpents symbolizing original sin. Below the mirror, a devout believer sits atop a coffin, flanked by two skeletal figures aiming their arrows at him. The background is rich with biblical narratives - Moses and the burning bush, Adam and Eve in paradise, a priest blessing two pious followers, and an older man reprimanding a boy with a splinter in his eye while he himself has a beam in his own. The print carries a Latin inscription that reads: 'Huc ades: et quid fis, quid eris, fuerife, tuere. Huic specvlo titulus'. At the bottom, there's a legend of the scenes on the image numbered alphabetically. This artwork is part of a twelve-part series (VI out of XII prints) focusing on twelve mirrors attempting to see God.
Copyright: Public domain