The woman is sitting between the ‘Last Judgement’ painting and jewellery on the table. She is clearly ignoring the jewellery and the mirror which means that vanity is not important to her. Her scales are empty-> She is balancing spiritual considerations or her soul. She appears calm and worry-free-> she is prepared for her judgement.
Mirror suggests her self knowledge. Hence the painting suggests the importance of moderation, self awareness and a full understanding of the implications of the final judgement. It suggests one to live their lives with temperance and moderation.
The painting within a painting offers an important clue that Christ’s last judgement is echoed by the woman’s own actions.
Before her are earthly treasures. Behind her is the symbolism of the eternal consequences of her actions on earth. She is acknowledging the importance of the last judgement when weighing her actions in anticipation of the life to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment