Mirror on the Wash Stand 1908

Pierre Bonnard’s painting at the Pushkin Museum, Mirror on the Wash Stand, is rich with symbolic layers, especially the motif of the mirror itself. Traditionally, mirrors are symbols of vanity and introspection, but here, the washstand mirror reflects a complex interplay of gazes and spaces. The mirror motif echoes in earlier works like Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, where a mirror serves not just as a reflective surface but as a portal into another dimension, revealing hidden aspects of the scene and the artist’s presence. In Bonnard's painting, the mirror presents a voyeuristic view of the bather, subtly implicating the viewer in the scene. The act of bathing itself carries historical weight, harking back to ancient Roman bathhouses, where cleansing was both physical and social. Through the centuries, bathing scenes have appeared in art, often associated with purity, sensuality, and self-awareness. Here, the viewer is drawn into a deep, subconscious level, reminded of intimate, personal moments. This motif resurfaces, taking on new meanings across different contexts, revealing the cyclical progression of symbols in human experience.