A TRIUMPH OF TULIPS

 

Two year ago I planted some tulip bulbs to brighten up the rough patch of grass that grows where the original entrance used to be. The ground is gritty and hardly merits the term soil, which at least means that the meagre grass hardly ever needs cutting. Just as well as I’ve never own a lawn mower. This spring there has been a good showing to the point that I’m almost embarrassed by the vivid violence of such brash primary red that would seem more at home in an urban or town setting. Those petals with the luscious texture of the finest satin have no place in a landscape of heather and heath, and yet that very out of place positioning renders them the more remarkable. They have taken their time in coming into bloom and are unlikely to last long with the lashing of wind and rain we are promised this week, so I sat a while on the bench out front and enjoyed. 

The tulip in native to Central Asia and Caucuses with 14diffwerent species growing wild in Turkey. From the 16^th century onward the tulip became an integral part of Ottoman culture as can be seen across all forms of the decorative arts. The obsession with tulips spanned the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1703-30) and became known as the tulip era. In Turkey and later in Holland laws were enacted to control speculation. In England and the west tulips with round petals were preferred while the Turks only rated the dagger shaped petals. Tulips appear in Dutch still life oil paintings throughout the 17^th century with masterpieces by Ambosius Bosschaert and Hans Bollongier and the standardised tree form of tulip made popular by illustrations in books such as Crispyn de Passe’s Horttus Floidus, and was used well into the 19^th century. 

Forty years ago a pair of such painting turned up in a house sale down in Cornwall. From the estimated price I thought I might stand a chance of buying them. I was prepared to go up to £10,000 pounds but never even raised my hands as they eventually sold for £21,000. I’ve often found that not being able to buy or more importantly afford something has inspired me to make it myself. In my own homage to the tulips I used a style reminiscent of those 17^th century Dutch botanical painters.