A sturdy woman, who looks as if she just arose from a Michelangelo tomb, inspects herself in the mirror. But, this moment of vanity will not last. A wheel and a wing indicate the fleeting and unpredictable fortunes of life, and the certainty of Death’s arrival is underscored by the Latin inscription, meaning “Made human, they shall perish.” Is the “M” monogram a nod to Michelangelo or the signature of an unidentified engraver? The answer seems to have followed the artist to the grave.
Credit Line: Text courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (CC BY 3.0).
