Mirror

Richard M. Hollander, Mirror, 1978, steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ray, 1992.106
Copied Richard M. Hollander, Mirror, 1978, steel, 43 5837 1210 in. (110.995.225.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ray, 1992.106

Artwork Details

Title
Mirror
Date
1978
Dimensions
43 5837 1210 in. (110.995.225.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ray
Mediums
Mediums Description
steel
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
1992.106

Artwork Description

Richard Hollander's Mirror calls to mind a woman's vanity table, but reflects nothing except silvery lights and shadows. These shifting tones on the burnished surface suggest depth and atmosphere, so that the "mirror" begins to evoke a window into a mysterious space. It resembles an ancient artifact dug up from a tomb, summoning the rituals of a vanished, but probably very great, lady. And, if we look a little longer, the beautiful oval of metal perched above a rectangular stand becomes an archaic figure, a portrait, perhaps, of the lady herself.