Twee meerkleurige tulpensoorten 1617

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger made this engraving of two multicoloured tulips in the Netherlands. The image shows two tulips and their leaves, each flower is meticulously depicted with a focus on their unique patterns and shapes. The image reminds us that the Dutch Golden Age was marked by "Tulip Mania," a period of speculative frenzy in the 1630s when the price of tulip bulbs reached extraordinarily high levels before dramatically collapsing. These tulips, so carefully rendered, are visual symbols of that time's economic and cultural landscape. They reflect a society grappling with new forms of wealth and risk, and the cultural values attached to rarity and beauty. Historians use sources like trade records, personal letters, and early financial documents to understand the tulip mania in more detail. In this way, the image of these tulips becomes more than just a botanical study: they reflect the social values of their time.