Untitled 

Harrison Fisher captured this image of a woman with watercolor in the late 19th or early 20th century. The mirror she holds is more than a looking glass; it’s a symbol deeply rooted in mythology and folklore, often linked to vanity, truth, and self-awareness. We see its echo in Caravaggio’s Narcissus, endlessly gazing at his reflection, and in countless vanitas paintings, where mirrors reflect the fleeting nature of beauty and life. The mirror's symbolism oscillates. In antiquity, it was a tool for divination, while the Romantics saw it as a portal to the soul. Here, the mirror and the woman's intense gaze invite us to consider the complex interplay between external appearance and inner identity. It's an age-old question: do we see ourselves as others see us? The image taps into a collective fascination with the self, a theme that recurs throughout art history, ever evolving, yet perpetually relevant.