Black Tulip by Ingrid de Vos - Boom

About "Black Tulip"

by Ingrid de Vos - Boom

About the artwork

"To have discovered the black tulip, to have seen it for a moment, then to lose it, to lose it forever," this is a quote from the 1865 historical novella The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas.

The "tulip mania" in the Netherlands , which this book is about and this artwork was inspired by, was a period of speculation and madness surrounding the trade in tulip bulbs in the 1630s. At the time, tulips were a relatively new and exotic crop in Europe and were considered very precious. They were a symbol of wealth and status and were considered a luxury item. The trade in tulip bulbs began in the late 16th century and became increasingly popular in the following decades. In the 1630s, the demand for tulip bulbs peaked and the price of bulbs began to rise exponentially. Some bulbs sold for thousands of guilders, which was equivalent to the annual income of an average citizen. The craziness surrounding the tulip trade peaked in the winter of 1636-1637, when tulip bulb prices were at an all-time high and people all over the country invested in the trade.
In February 1637, the market collapsed and the price of tulip bulbs fell dramatically.

This beautiful sculpture, made of Corten steel, is 1 of a set of 2, which you will find at Keukenhof. Surrounded by the most beautiful tulips in all colours of the rainbow, this black tulip stands there and stands out above the others I took this picture on a bright day in early May 2023. It was one of the few really beautiful and sunny days this spring and what a treat it is to be in this beautifully landscaped park.