Twee tulpen met schelp, vlinder, spin en lieveheersbeestje 1640

Jacob Marrel created this watercolor called 'Two Tulips with Shell, Butterfly, Spider, and Ladybug' sometime during the Dutch Golden Age. This was a period when the Netherlands saw an unprecedented boom in trade, science, and the arts. But it was also a time of rigid social hierarchies and nascent colonial expansion, all of which underpin this seemingly innocent botanical study. The tulips are not just flowers; they are symbols of wealth and status, reflecting the infamous "Tulip Mania" when single bulbs could cost more than houses. In contrast, the insects—the butterfly, spider, and ladybug—introduce a transient quality, reminding us of the fleeting nature of beauty and wealth. The shell, often seen as a symbol of pilgrimage, adds another layer of complexity. It suggests the exotic and the faraway, hinting at the global trade networks that fueled the Dutch economy. Marrel’s work operates in a world where the personal and political are inextricably linked. The painting is an emotional study of value, class, and the human desire for beauty, set against a backdrop of economic excess.