Soap Bubbles
Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo
1764 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This genre painting features a central girl surrounded by two boys, one of whom is blowing a soap bubble from a clay pipe. The composition is framed within a trompe l'oeil oval border.
Did you know?
In 18th-century art, the motif of children blowing soap bubbles was a popular allegory for 'Homo Bulla', a Latin phrase meaning 'Man is a bubble.' This served as a memento mori, reminding viewers of the fragility and transience of human life despite the lighthearted appearance of the scene.
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Soap Bubbles
Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, 1764
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