Joseph Cornell American, 1903–1972 · 1948

Soap Bubble Set

Joseph Cornell American, 1903–1972

Soap Bubble Set

1948

Joseph Cornell's 'Soap Bubble Set' is one of the reliquary-like glass-fronted boxes the American Surrealist assembled through the 1930s–60s, combining cordial glasses, clay pipes, celestial maps, and tiny suspended spheres into enigmatic private cosmologies. Several 'Soap Bubble Sets' were produced as variations on his childhood memories and love of astronomy; the Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the fullest examples.

Exhibition Venue

Image source: Art Institute of Chicago