The image depicts a nude person admiring their reflection in a large mirror. Their body is twisted as they reach up to touch their head, which is covered with a cloth. They have classical facial features with prominent eyebrows and a defined jawline. In the background, there is a skeletal figure holding an hourglass and a wheel, symbolizing the passage of time. Beside the person are a pair of wings, and in the corner, a column with a garland. The background shows an intricately detailed interior wall with a Latin phrase at the bottom and the artist's monogram in the lower right corner.
Read the visual description

The image depicts a nude person admiring their reflection in a large mirror. Their body is twisted as they reach up to touch their head, which is covered with a cloth. They have classical facial features with prominent eyebrows and a defined jawline. In the background, there is a skeletal figure holding an hourglass and a wheel, symbolizing the passage of time. Beside the person are a pair of wings, and in the corner, a column with a garland. The background shows an intricately detailed interior wall with a Latin phrase at the bottom and the artist's monogram in the lower right corner.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Allegory of Vanity (Death Surprising a Woman)

Italian 16th Century

Date
16th century
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 35.9 x 25.2 cm (14 1/8 x 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1961.17.6
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1401 to 1500
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • Italian
  • Woman
  • Death
  • Female nude
  • Mirror

NGA object ID 46310. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.