Boys Blowing Bubbles

Michaelina Wautier

1640s

Oil on canvas

Seattle Art Museum

Two boys are depicted blowing and catching bubbles, with symbolic elements like a snuffed candle and hourglass in the background. Two boys are depicted blowing and catching bubbles, with symbolic elements like a snuffed candle and hourglass in the background. A boy blows bubbles with a straw as his friend tries to catch one in his hat. The bubble-a perfect orb which can pop at any moment-is a familiar symbol of the fragility and brevity of life. To enforce the point, the artist includes a snuffed-out candle and an hourglass in the background. The open book and half-hidden musical instrument may refer to the idea that art outlasts life, which of course is part of the point of the painting itself. Gift of Mr. Floyd Naramore Miss S. Morant and Miss V. E. Morant,