This painting is a striking allegory on the brevity and transitoriness of life. \u00a0Even the modern day beholder immediately understands the message.\u00a0Let’s have a closer look to understand why.<\/p>\n
The boy has just lowered his pipe and looks with satisfaction at the bubbles he has sent flying.\u00a0One hand holds the soap dish, a scallop shell which still holds a few trembling bubbles. The boy is balanced on a giant soap bubble, surfing the waves on an equally giant shell.<\/p>\n
This vessel constitutes a surreal element within what is otherwise a realistic depiction, proclaiming the motif to be an allegory.\u00a0The motif is a “memento mori”, a reminder of the transience of happiness and the brevity of human life.<\/p>\n
The work combines two well-known tropes from the 17th century: Fortuna, the goddess of good fortune, rolling on the waves on a ball, and the\u00a0 “Homo Bulla (est)” (“Man is a bubble”) concept, which is often portrayed as a child blowing soap bubbles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This painting is a striking allegory on the brevity and transitoriness of life. \u00a0Even the modern day beholder immediately understands the message.\u00a0Let’s have a closer look to understand why. The boy has just lowered his pipe and looks with satisfaction at the bubbles he has sent flying.\u00a0One hand holds the soap dish, a scallop shell … Continue reading Boy Blowing Soap Bubbles<\/span>