Arts & Culture
The Dutch Golden Age of Still Life Symbolism
Quick fact
The tulip bulb craze known as 'Tulip Mania' saw a single bulb sell for more than a craftsman’s annual income, and still life paintings often included tulips as symbols of both prosperity and the foolishness of human desire.
Why this is interesting
You’ve probably seen a painting of a bouquet of flowers or a table of fruit and thought it was just a pretty picture. But in 17th-century Holland, those objects were a silent conversation about death, wealth, and the fleeting nature of life.