Tulip mania

 

I have taken 16th century botanical illustrations and digitally altered them to  produce contemporary images of these beautiful flowers.  It seems absurd that tulip bulbs became the hottest investment for a short while during the 1600’s in Holland, but they did.  One bulb could fetch twice the price of a painting by Rembrandt, or the annual income of a wealthy merchant, but the  mania was short lived.  Tulips were a status symbol in Dutch circles , and because they showed off colours in a more vibrant way than any other flower, they were the chosen plants to demonstrate wealth in flower gardens of fancy estates. Thus demand began to outstrip supply, and the market for the precious bulbs rose to dizzy levels for a short time. Perhaps we should take the lesson from the Dutch, to maintain proportion in our desires!