Little Worlds 

Carrie Graber’s painting “Little Worlds” captures a quiet domestic moment in the interplay of light, a young woman, and her dog, their pastime framed by the ephemeral beauty of soap bubbles. These iridescent spheres, symbols of fragility and transience, evoke the classical concept of "vanitas." We observe a symbolic dance: The woman, prone yet active, blows life into these fragile forms, while the dog looks on, perhaps ready to disrupt them. The motif of bubbles as fleeting beauty dates back to ancient Roman art, where they adorned depictions of Venus, goddess of love and beauty. Over time, this symbol resurfaces in Dutch Golden Age painting, where a bubble-blowing child serves as a memento mori, a reminder of life's brevity. There is a poignant emotional resonance in this image, suggesting the transient nature of joy. It reminds us that even in the most mundane moments, beauty exists, fleeting and fragile, an eternal cycle reflected across centuries of art.