What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

We see a woman just glancing at herself . As aforementioned, she is stopping slightly forwards, her hands lifting the dress a little, as if readying to flee. The painting captures a very curious expression on her face; perhaps she is scrutinizing her face and her appearance just for a moment before she heads out to wherever she needs to go. Her lifting her dress is an indication of her getting ready to either walk out.
Another story more serious, where she is looking in the mirror to search for answers to her troubles and she is lifting her dress, as if she is ready to fleeing from her current life and tribulations.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The left side of the painting is darker because of the shadows, while there is a light source inn the right hand side, which brings more attention to the lady’s face and her gaze. It calls attention to the fact that she is actively looking into the mirror for whatever reason, whether that be for a brief check or a deeper, more contemplative state The lines used in the painting are also very soft, the skin and the dress almost meld into one another, yet the artist is able to capture the folds in her dress and the different textures of the mirror and her skin.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

The painting is placed in a room with other paintings depicting woman, which perhaps speaks to the museum’s intentions of breaking expectations and stereotypes of woman as well as redefining what femininity is. For instance, across this painting, there’s another painting of a woman reading the newspapers instead of washing the pile of dirty dishes next to her. In this painting, the woman, although getting ready to leave, still takes the moment to look at herself in the mirror, even though it may seem vain and superficial.

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