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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
- 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.