Artwork
Tulips
Tulips is a watercolor work on paper by the Baroque artist Johann Jakob Walther. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour, titled 'Tulips', is part of the 'Nassau Florilegium', a manuscript collection of flower studies compiled by Johann Jakob Walther between approximately 1650 and 1670.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts tulips in a formal bouquet arrangement, showcasing the natural habit of the plant while demonstrating Walther's skill in decorative composition.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the work exemplifies the artist's ability to balance formal arrangement with naturalistic representation.
History & Provenance
The 'Nassau Florilegium' exists as two volumes of watercolours in eighteenth-century bindings, comprising 133 flower and fruit studies, and is associated with the garden at Idstein, created by the Count of Nassau.
Context
The 'Nassau Florilegium' is one of several florilegia, or decorative flower books, that emerged in the 17th century as a response to the growing popularity of collecting and cultivating rare and exotic plants among the wealthy.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Working in the 1600s, Johann Jakob Walther painted delicate watercolours of flowers and fruit, often naming each kind in Latin.
Study of a Tulip ('t roosje)
Study of a Tulip (Gemarmerde van Jasper)
Study of a Tulip (Wit en root boode)
Two Tulips
Study of a Tulip (Anvaers)
Study of a Tulip (Ammirael Winckel)
Eight Beautiful Groups of Natural Flowers in Outlines by de la Cour: Tulips
Study of a Tulip (Perregoen Machieu)
Liure de Toutes Sortes de fleurs d'après nature: Vase of Flowers