Rijksmuseum

De Bruijn-van der Leeuw Bequest, Muri, Switzerland

This painting depicts a young lady in a fine silk dress sitting in front of a mirror held by a boy, while looking up at an older woman. The young lady's soft facial expression is reflected in the mirror. The mirror symbolizes the fleeting nature of life and the importance we place on physical beauty. The painting conveys the ephemeral nature of youth and beauty, which inevitably diminish over time