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 5⁄8 x 37 1⁄2 x 10 in. (110.9 x 95.2 x 25.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ray, 1992.106

Artwork Details

Title
Mirror
Artist
Date
1978
Location
Dimensions
43 5⁄8 x 37 1⁄2 x 10 in. (110.9 x 95.2 x 25.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ray
Mediums
Mediums Description
steel
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1992.106
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.