A Boy Blowing Bubbles

[kavery]

Frans van Mieris the Elder

A Boy Blowing Bubbles
1663

ВОт безобидная с виду картина, но в нее вложен соврешенно иной философский смысл.

At first glance this tiny painting (about the size of a man's hand) appears charming and lighthearted. But Dutch art from this period is often about the brevity of life and this image is no exception.

A snail crawls over the date - 1663 - at the bottom of the painting. Snails and insects, because of their short life cycles, illustrated the shortness of life theme and were often used in Dutch art. In the centre, the bubble represents something which is perfectly formed and can disappear in an instant.

Finally the sunflower itself, sitting on the window sill, is used because it is a flower which shows astonishing beauty for a short space of time.


1635-1681

Frans van Mieris, along with his teacher Gerrit Dou, was regarded as being the most influential of the Leiden 'Fine Painters'. This group of Dutch artists were famous for their small and detailed genre paintings. Some of van Mieris' best work was produced early on in his career, shortly after joining the Leiden Guild of St Luke in 1658. Contemporary writers have documented his popularity, exclaiming over the large sums he received for his paintings, both from wealthy local citizens and foreign collectors.