Duif voor een spiegel 1777 - 1778

This engraving, "Duif voor een spiegel" or "Pigeon in front of a mirror," was created by Noach van der Meer II. The scene, composed of detailed linear work, captures a figure within an interior space, gesturing theatrically towards a pigeon perched before a mirror. The composition is structured by a tension between the human figure and the still life of the pigeon, mirror, and table. The eye is led from the figure's dynamic pose to the static arrangement on the table, creating a visual dialogue. The composition is further complicated through the use of the mirror, which introduces ideas about perception and doubling. Van der Meer uses the mirror to destabilize the space. The reflection challenges our understanding of what is real and what is merely a representation. In conclusion, the engraving uses form and composition to question the nature of reality and representation, inviting us to consider the unstable relationship between image and object.