Soap bubbles became popular in 17th century paintings and prints primarily as a metaphor for the
impermanence and fragility of life. The Dancing Couple 1663 by the Dutch painter Jan Steen is
a good example which, among many other symbols, shows a young boy blowing soap bubbles. In
the 18th century the French painter Jean-Simeon Chardin used soap bubbles not only as metaphor
but also to express a sense of play and wonder.