Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

This picture is called Sacred Mirrors and it was painted by a transcendentalist painter by the name of Alex Grey. To me, it demonstrates Emerson’s belief that man is the center of things by displaying the man in the center and as the main focus of the photo. It shows a light shining behind the man like the light or power is coming from within him. It shows the inside of the body and emphasizes how the man’s body is made and that he is part of nature.

“Insist on yourself: never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force o a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him No man yet knows what it is, nor can, till that person has exhibited it.” From Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance pp. 547

This picture represents many aspects of transcendentalism. The individual person in the picture emphasizes an individual’s power and reliance on oneself. In the picture, the man has his hand outstretched like he is reaching out for something. This symbolizes that reaching out can help an individual achieve their goals and desires. The background, behind the man symbolized his spirit and strength within himself.