Twee tulpen met rups en waterjuffer 1637

"Twee tulpen met rups en waterjuffer" (Two Tulips with Caterpillar and Dragonfly) is a 1637 watercolor painting by Dutch artist Jacob Marrel. The painting, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum, features two vibrantly colored tulips, one with a red and white striped pattern and another with a similar pattern but a more pink hue. The intricate details of the tulips are enhanced by the presence of a caterpillar crawling up the stem of one and a dragonfly flying near the top of the page. Marrel was a renowned still-life painter, and his meticulous depiction of the tulips and their accompanying insects reflects the Dutch Golden Age's fascination with both scientific observation and the beauty of nature.