Mirror of Life
Mirror of Life
Spiegel van het leven, 1610
Theodoor Galle
The artwork captures a striking scene where a mirror bearing a skull takes center stage. Coiled around the mirror are four serpents, symbolizing original sin. Beneath the mirror, a devout believer sits atop a coffin. Two skeletons flank the mirror, their arrows aimed at the believer. The background is rich with biblical narratives - Moses and the burning bush, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and a priest blessing two devout followers. To the right, a poignant scene unfolds where an older man with a beam in his eye reprimands a boy with a splinter in his. The print is inscribed with a Latin phrase: 'Huc ades: et quid fis, quid eris, fuerife, tuere. Huic specvlo titulus'. At the bottom, an alphabetical legend identifies the scenes depicted in the image. This print is part of a twelve-piece series (VI out of XII prints) exploring mankind's attempts to see God through twelve mirrors.
Copyright: Public domain