When we look in a mirror, we tend to see ourselves differently from what is actually there. An interesting non-traditional vanitas painting that provides a great example of this is Pablo Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror, painted in 1932. The visual elements, unique design, and iconography used by Picasso gently communicate the theme of mortality while also influencing self-contemplation. are many visual elements that help balance the composition. The woman on the left and her mirror image on the right give the painting a symmetrical balance. The composition seems divided by the left mirror post which descends vertically. It was the symmetry that made me aware that the reflection of the girl's face is not the same as her face on the left side of the painting. The girl's gesture as she reaches toward the edges of the mirror connects the girl to her reflection. Picasso emphasized this point by using the red stripes starting on the girl's chest and extending to her fingertips. I kept looking from one side of the board to the other because of this one small aspect. The red stripes help create unity and rhythm within the painting, making it whole and balanced. Organic curves and repeating circles also bring unity to the composition. The colors used by Picasso in The Girl Before the Mirror play an important role in stimulating emotion and balance. The natural focal point of this painting is the girl's face. Picasso used a light yellow for her hair, a more intense yellow for half of her face and an oval of green and white stripes surrounding her hair and head separating her from the dazzling, boldly colored jewel like a...... middle of paper ... the lighter side of her face should be visible in the mirror, indicating that she is not seeing herself as she really is. Instead, she sees a shadow of uncertainty with her own inner self and realizes the inevitable. Girl Before a Mirror is a wonderful work of art to evaluate because it is a complex and non-traditional form of vanitas style painting. Its composition is soft and well balanced to represent the theme of mortality. Through his skillful use of visual elements, unique design and iconography, Picasso was able to achieve his goal of contemplating life and the inner self. Girl Before a Mirror communicates the message that the conceits in which a woman, looking in a mirror, sees herself not as she appears, but through the clothes to the flesh which contains the certain and saddening truth of inevitable aging and death..