Hans Memling - Vanity, panel of a polyptych

Title: Vanity, panel of a polyptych
Artist: Hans Memling (c.1430-1494)
Date: c. 1480s
Medium: Oil on oak panel
Dimensions: 20 x 13 cm (each panel)

The work "Vanity" was one of the panels of a polyptych which used to consist of multiple panels which were arranged recto-verso as pairs.

The painting shows a nubile woman looking at herself in a mirror surrounded by a farmland landscape with a watermill and a city in the background, yet the only thing she can do is admire herself in the mirror. She is all naked apart for wearing sandals. Her long, blonde hair is well brushed. She is wearing a crown of pearls and makeup on her lips. She has no pubic hair which means she probably plucks them.