Mundus Muliebris by John Evelyn, c1690

Mundus Muliebris: or the ladies dressing-room unlock'd and her toilette spread by John Evelyn, c1690:

"A new Scene to us next presents,

The Dressing Room and Implements, 

Of Toilet Plate and Gilt, and Emboss'd,

And several other things of Cost,

The Table Miroir, one Glue Pot,

One for Pomatum, and whatnot?

Of Washes, Unguents and Cosmeticks,

A pair of Silver Candlesticks, 

Snuffers and Snuff Dish, Boxes more,

For Powders, Patches, Water Store,

In silver Flasks, Bottles or Cups, 

Cover'd or open to wash chaps."

John Evelyn’s Mundus Muliebris: or, The Ladies Dressing-Room Unlock’d and Her Toilette Spread (c.1690) offers a vivid, almost theatrical glimpse into the intimate ritual of feminine beauty in the late seventeenth century. His poem opens the door, quite literally, to a private world—one that few men of the period would have seen—and lays out before the reader an opulent tableau of refinement, vanity, and artifice. This “new scene,” as he calls it, is not merely a physical description of the dressing table, but a social commentary on luxury and the culture of adornment that defined the Restoration era’s fashionable elite.

Evelyn’s lines read like an inventory of the feminine art of self-presentation. The “Toilet Plate and Gilt, and Emboss’d” objects shimmer with wealth and craftsmanship, reflecting not just the lady’s face but her social standing. Every implement—each mirror, pot, and flask—has its role in the morning ceremony of transformation. The “Table Miroir,” centerpiece of the ritual, stands as both a literal and symbolic portal: it captures beauty in its fleeting moment, while also suggesting the constructed nature of that beauty. Around it, the “Glue Pot” and “Pomatum” jar remind us of the tactile, even alchemical, processes of personal enhancement. These were the materials of self-fashioning—creams, pomades, and unguents compounded of beeswax, spermaceti, oils, and fragrant essences—each prepared to smooth, scent, or tint the complexion according to the ideals of the age.

The mention of “Washes, Unguents and Cosmeticks” evokes not only the textures and fragrances of these potions but also their sensory richness: the faint coolness of rosewater, the soft sheen of pomade, the herbal sharpness of lavender or rosemary distillates. Evelyn’s description expands beyond utility into sensuality—beauty here is both a performance and an experience. Silver candlesticks and snuff dishes gleam in the candlelight, their reflection amplifying the luxurious intimacy of the scene. Even the “Powders, Patches, Water Store” are contained in ornate “silver Flasks, Bottles or Cups,” suggesting that the instruments of beauty were as decorative as the woman herself.

Yet beneath this charm lies a wry undertone. Evelyn, ever the moralist, cannot resist hinting at the excesses of vanity and artifice. The catalogue of objects—so sumptuous and exhaustive—implies a certain absurdity in the lengths to which beauty is pursued. Still, his fascination is undeniable. Through his eyes, we witness the birth of the modern toilette ritual—a fusion of art, luxury, and identity. In Mundus Muliebris, the dressing table becomes a microcosm of seventeenth-century society: gilded, perfumed, and deeply conscious of appearances.

"Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas”

The Latin phrase “Vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas” translates to “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

It comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament (Ecclesiastes 1:2) and was traditionally attributed to King Solomon. The phrase expresses the idea that all human pursuits—beauty, wealth, pleasure, power—are ultimately fleeting and meaningless when measured against the inevitability of death and the passage of time.

In the 17th century, particularly during the Baroque period, this phrase became the foundation of the “vanitas” art genre—paintings filled with symbolic objects like skulls, extinguished candles, wilting flowers, and hourglasses. These images reminded viewers that worldly possessions and physical beauty are temporary; only the soul and virtue endure.

In a broader cultural sense, “Vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas” reflects a philosophical meditation on mortality and the transience of human life. When applied to contexts like fashion, cosmetics, or perfume—as in John Evelyn’s Mundus Muliebris—it carries a tone of moral reflection: even the most exquisite luxuries and rituals of adornment, however beautiful, are ultimately ephemeral, mere illusions in the face of time’s decay.

In essence, the phrase is a timeless reminder that all earthly beauty fades, and that the pursuit of perfection or possession is a fleeting endeavor—both seductive and doomed to vanish.