Design For the Real World: Mirror

Studio 360
The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.

Design critic Veronique Vienne tells us how pieces of reflective glass in 18th century France sparked a culture of narcissism.

When Louis XIV built his famous palace in Versailles, he challenged craftsmen to build larger mirrors to line the walls of the palace gallery, in what is now called the Hall of Mirrors. “People had never looked at themselves in a mirror from head to toe,” Vienne explains. “They sort of fell in love with their reflection. And capitalizing on this, Louis XIV invented fashion. People became prisoners of their vanity, prisoners of their ego.”

(Originally aired October 13, 2001)

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!