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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis watercolor on vellum displays four individual tulip bulbs, each characterized by the red-and-white 'broken' patterns favored during the Dutch Golden Age. Interspersed between the flowers are a peacock butterfly and a grasshopper, rendered with naturalistic precision. The work serves as a record of rare and highly sought-after plant varieties common in 17th-century Dutch garden culture.
During the 17th century, the 'tulipomania' phenomenon often intersected with natural philosophy and the study of nature's hidden mechanisms; the variegated colors of these flowers were later understood as the result of mosaic viruses, a mystery that fascinated natural philosophers of the period. This focus on the fleeting perfection of biological specimens aligns with the period's interest in the transitory nature of existence, often explored in the memento mori tradition.
Boter man Joncker Grot: geplumaceerde Voorwint
Translation
Butter man Young nobleman Large feathered Fair wind
Carolus Clusius
Clusius was the pivotal figure in the introduction and study of tulips in the Netherlands, providing the scientific context for the obsession with these botanical specimens.
Object
Watercolor on vellum
botanical
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 15, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.