Vanity

This allegory has been a popular subject in literature and art dating back to the Middle Ages. Vanity personifies all the temptations and self-serving pleasures of the world. In Charles Louis Hinton’s version, the idealized figure has been replaced with a naturalistic, female nude. She turns her head and leans slightly back to look at her reflection. Her vanity is evident in her sensual, studied pose, which exudes beauty and self-confidence.