This engaging and witty cultural history traces the evolution of the mirror from antiquity to the present day, illustrating its journey from wondrous object to ordinary trinket. With its earliest invention, the mirror allowed us to gaze upon ourselves, bestowing a power both fascinating and terrifying.
Translators Note vii Katharine H. Jewett Preface ix Jean Delumeau Introduction 1(8) Part One THE ORIGIN OF THE MIRROR The Secret of Venice 9(26) The Royal Glass and Mirror Company 35(35) From Luxury to Necessity 70(31) Part Two THE MAGIC OF RESEMBLANCE In the Semblance of God 101(32) The Triumph of Mimesis 133(23) Staring at the Self in Order to Imagine the Self 156(31) Part Three TROUBLING STRANGENESS The Devils Distorted Faces 187(35) Oblique Mirrors and Specular Trickery 222(24) Mirror Fragments 246(24) Conclusion 270(5) Notes 275(25) Index 300
Sabine Melchior-Bonnet is an instructor at the College de France in Paris. This is her first work to be published in English.
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