The Met | Did this mirror hide a portrait of a mistress? @metmuseum | Uploaded September 2024 | Updated October 2024, 15 hours ago.
There is more than meets the eye in this 16th-century mirror. During this time, painted mistress portraits were frequently concealed behind shutters or curtains. Only an actively engaged voyeur could behold the subject—a convention that served to heighten the erotic content of the image by arousing desire and underscoring the forbidden aspect of the painting.
Unknown artist. Tabernacle mirror frame, 1540-60. Walnut.

Subscribe for new content from The Met: youtube.com/user/metmuseum

#TheMet #Art #TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt #Museum

© 2024 The Metropolitan Museum of Art