Stengel in een vaas 1500 - 1530

This engraving of tulips in a vase was made anonymously, at an unknown date, and with unknown purpose. Floral patterns such as these played a crucial role in the cultural life of the Netherlands, particularly during the Dutch Golden Age when the Dutch East India Company brought exotic species to Europe, sparking what became known as ‘tulip mania’. The popularity of tulips coincided with a boom in printmaking. Prints were widely used for instruction, decoration, and the dissemination of cultural values. We might ask, then, what particular social conditions shaped the production of this print? Was it designed for aesthetic pleasure, or did it have a more specific purpose? Was it aimed at wealthy collectors who could afford the real thing, or at a broader public who could only dream of possessing such treasures? We might search horticultural catalogues, design books, and auction records to uncover the social and economic dynamics that surrounded this type of image. What we take from it will depend on the contexts we are able to build around it.