't Compliment van Katrijn (dagboek, 10 december) 1805 - 1808

Christiaan Andriessen captured this intimate scene with pen and watercolor. It depicts a woman gazing into a mirror, seemingly lost in contemplation. Mirrors, throughout art history, are potent symbols. More than mere reflections, they represent vanity, self-awareness, and truth. Think of Venus at her mirror, attended by Cupid. The mirror can also symbolize the soul, the other side of reality or an alternative pathway of perception. Here, the woman's quiet act of self-regard is not necessarily about vanity. Her posture suggests a moment of introspection, where she confronts not just her image, but perhaps her inner self. This is reminiscent of countless depictions of the myth of Narcissus, forever transfixed by his reflection. The myth reminds us of the perils of self-obsession. The mirror, however, never lies, and is thus a vehicle for enlightenment and awareness of a deeper, perhaps darker, self. The symbol has continually transformed across various epochs, each time speaking to our deepest, most human anxieties and desires.