The Old Coquette, from Cabinet Reynst c. 1655 - 1658

Jeremias Falck created this print, “The Old Coquette,” in the 17th century, a time when the Dutch Republic was flourishing as a center for trade and art. The image presents us with an aging woman, attended by younger figures, as she gazes into a mirror, adorning herself with flowers and feathers. This scene is not merely a depiction of vanity; it's a commentary on the social anxieties surrounding aging, beauty, and the performative aspects of femininity. Falck, working within a culture that both celebrated and critiqued materialism, uses the print to question the relentless pursuit of youthful appearance. The "coquette" becomes a figure through which the artist interrogates the social pressures placed on women. To fully understand this artwork, one might delve into conduct books and popular literature of the period, resources that reveal the contemporary debates about women's roles and the dangers of excessive vanity. Art, in this context, serves as a mirror reflecting society's own preoccupations and contradictions.