Tulipomania! Bloom and Bust

Tulips arrived in Europe from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century and became highly prized in the Netherlands. By the 1630s, Tulip mania saw prices soar, particularly for the spectacular striped Semper Augustus, before the market collapsed in 1637. During this period, Dutch artists specialised in highly realistic paintings. Although the crash brought financial ruin for some, tulips remained popular, and flower painting continued to flourish throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Martin Heard studied History of Art at Manchester University before working in the editorial department of a fine arts publishing company and then later earned his living in the world of information technology. Having 'retired' from this field of endeavour Martin now devotes his time researching late nineteenth century art and architecture, and European garden history from the medieval period to that of the great landscape gardeners.