Axial Commons Image Treasury
Brown wash drawing of a seated man holding up a small framed mirror in a cluttered room with books and a dim reclining figure behind him.

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
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Public domain · Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum) releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1610).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)

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

Español: Hombre mirando un espejo, posiblemente Sócrates

Una figura sentada con una capa suelta sostiene en alto un pequeño espejo enmarcado, en cuyo interior se ve el rostro reflejado, dentro de un interior abarrotado de libros y muebles. La aguada marrón y el dibujo a pluma trazan la habitación con trazos sueltos y amplios, y una figura tenue reclinada aparece al fondo.

Português: Homem olhando um espelho, possivelmente Sócrates

Uma figura sentada, com uma capa solta, ergue um pequeno espelho emoldurado, no qual se vê o rosto refletido, em um interior cheio de livros e móveis. A aguada marrom e o desenho a pena percorrem o cômodo com traços soltos e amplos, e uma figura tênue reclinada aparece ao fundo.

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