Twee tulpen met dag- en nachtvlinder 1637

Jacob Marrel made this watercolor painting of tulips, along with a moth and insect, as part of a book of botanical illustrations. The book itself is an institution. Within its pages, nature is tamed, organized, and made subject to human knowledge. These tulips were made in the Netherlands in the 17th century, a period when 'tulip mania' swept the country. The flowers became luxury goods, with rare bulbs trading for exorbitant prices on the Dutch stock market. With their flamed petals, these tulips signify wealth and status. Marrel also painted for a well-to-do clientele. He ran a workshop that mass-produced paintings for sale. This image is a product of the new economic systems that grew in the Netherlands and were connected to the growth of the art market. As art historians, we can use sources like archival documents and economic data to understand the social context in which images such as these were made.