books0977:
Vanity (1885). Alfred Agache (French, 1843-1915). Oil on canvas. Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille.
A proud young woman with cold eyes is seated in the center of the painting. Objects are placed at her feet. Dressed simply, she holds a mysterious golden sphere in her hand. This portrait is in fact a Vanity. Alfred Agache often represented this type of allegory in the guise of a young woman dressed in black. Here, the sphere represents the cycle of time, eternal and unchanging.