Tulips Notecards from The Met Museum

Tulips were introduced to Europe from Turkey in the sixteenth century. “Tulipomania” reached its height in Holland in the 1630s. During this period, specialists such as Jacob Marrel (German, active Holland, 1613/14-1681) were commissioned to paint books of tulips and other valuable flowers that served as catalogues of a dealer’s stock or a proud owner’s collection. A double page of delicately painted watercolors by Marrel in the Museum’s collection, once part of an album, shows four species of tulips. These dramatic blooms are featured in this box of notecards.