A mercantile craze for tulips, known as "Tulipomania," arose in Holland in the early seventeenth century. Native to Turkey, the tulip was introduced into Europe in 1554 and quickly became popular in Holland. The insatiable demand for the beautiful, rare bulbs reached its height in 1636, when prices soared and flower merchants enjoyed great wealth. This album of watercolors was used by a wealthy Dutch merchant and grower to show his clients the different varieties of tulip bulbs available for purchase. Inscriptions on the watercolors record the name of each variety, often the grower himself or an influential and wealthy client, as well as the weight and price of each bulb.
Details
- Artist Name: Dutch, 17th century (Dutch, 1600-1699)
- Title: A Tulip Book: Kamelot Van Wena
- Date: c. 1640s
- Medium: Gouache, watercolor, and pencil on paper
- Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 7 7/8 in. (30.8 x 20 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
- Accession Number: M.1974.08.086.D
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
Nature Transformed
- Norton Simon Museum, 2004-10-08 to 2005-02-28
[on loan]
- Henry Art Gallery, 1974 to
The Great Tulip Book
- Norton Simon Museum, 1987-04-30 to 1987-08-02
Tulipomania
- Frans Hals Museum, 1974-04-05 to 1974-06-08
Significant Objects: The Spell of Still Life
- Norton Simon Museum, 2012-07-20 to 2013-01-21
Installation
- Norton Simon Museum, 1978-08 to
Dutch Estates During the 17th and 18th century
- Het Prinsenhof Museum, 1972-07 to 1972-09
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1060 p. 367
Additional Artwork by Artist
Image reproduction permission may be granted for scholarly or arts related commercial use. All image requests, regardless of their intended purpose, should be submitted via the reproduction request form.
Images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Additional permission may be required.
Please allow up to four weeks for your request to be reviewed. Approved requests for the reproduction of an image will receive a contract detailing all fees and conditions of use of the image. Upon receipt of both the signed contract and full payment, the Office of Rights and Reproductions will provide the image. A complimentary copy of the published material must be provided to the Norton Simon Museum.