Man Looking in a Mirror, Possibly Socrates Teaching Self-Knowledge

A seated figure in a loose cloak holds up a small framed mirror, the reflected face visible within it, in a cluttered interior of books and furniture. Brown wash and pen sketch the room in loose, sweeping strokes, with a dim figure reclining in the background.

Artist

Jan van der Straet

Date

ca. 1580 – 1605

Medium

Recto: pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash over black chalk on laid paper Verso: pen and brown ink on laid paper

Source

Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)

Size

1280 × 906 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum