Four Tulips

about 1635–1645

Medium

Translucent and opaque watercolor with selectively applied gum over metalpoint (drawing) and pen and brown ink (inscriptions), on prepared parchment

Dimensions

33.9 × 44.6 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-214839

This drawing comprises pages seven and eight from a tulip book, an album containing highly finished watercolors of tulips. Marrel rendered each tulip individually, floating in isolation on luxurious parchment. He depicted the blooms in vivid color and included small insects crawling over stalks, leaves, and blooms to evoke a sense of naturalism. Following the Pre-Linnaean Dutch naming convention, each flower is identified by an inscription with their names deriving from colors, patterning, and individual cultivators. The name for the left most flower, the Vroech gevlamt branson kaer, describes its appearance and its early bloom. Bransons are red tulips with a yellow band, while "gevlamt" describes the flicker of red that reaches from the base to the tip of the petal. Similarly, at the branson's right, the Admiral van Engelant (English Admiral), references its red and white colors and possible origins in England. On the right page, the Swimende Jan gerritsz, refers to the specific cultivator of the striking yellow tulip with white tips streaked with red. Its neighbor, the Gemarmert van kaer, is named for its marbleized red and white pattern.