Jean-Léon Gérôme: The Tulip Folly
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Artist |
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Title |
The Tulip Folly |
Object type |
painting |
Genre |
allegory |
Description |
English: Gérôme illustrates an incident during the "tulipomania", or the craze for tulips, that swept the Netherlands and much of Europe during the 17th century. The tulip, originally imported from Turkey in the 16th century, became an increasingly valuable commodity. By 1636/7, tulipomania peaked, and, when the market crashed, speculators were left with as little as 5 percent of their original investments. In this scene, a nobleman guards an exceptional bloom as soldiers trample flowerbeds in a vain attempt to stabilize the tulip market by limiting the supply. |
Date |
1882 date QS:P571,+1882-00-00T00:00:00Z/9 |
Medium |
oil on canvas medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q12321255,P518,Q861259 |
Dimensions |
height: 65.4 cm (25.7 in); width: 100 cm (39.3 in) dimensions QS:P2048,65.4U174728 dimensions QS:P2049,100U174728 ; Framed height: 99.5 cm (39.2 in); width: 132.7 cm (52.2 in); depth: 12.7 cm (5 in)dimensions QS:P2048,99.58U174728 dimensions QS:P2049,132.72U174728 dimensions QS:P5524,12.7U174728 |
Collection |
institution QS:P195,Q210081 |
Accession number |
37.2612 |
Place of creation |
Bologna, Italy |
Object history |
- Mary J. Morgan
- Mary J. Morgan Sale, American Art Association, New York, March 3-15, 1886, no. 156
- Hermann Schaus Sale, American Art Galleries, New York, January 15-17, 1912, lot 212 [as "The Tulip Craze"]
- Thomas Footer, Cumberland, 1912, by purchase [Mr. J. C. (or G.) Evans as agent]
- Mrs. Cephas H. Glass [his daughter], 1923, by gift
- Mrs. Cyril Keene, by inheritance
- 1983: bequeathed to Walters Art Museum by Henry Walters
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Exhibition history |
The Taste of Maryland: Art Collecting in Maryland 1800-1934. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1984. Botanical Delights: Floral Motifs in 19th-Century Art. Strathmore Hall Art Center, North Bethesda; Academy of the Arts, Easton, Easton; Government House, Annapolis. 1998-1999. A Discerning Eye: Nineteenth-century Drawings and Watercolors. Academy of the Arts, Easton, Easton. 1998-1999. A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2002-2004. The Spectacular Art of Jean-Léon Gérôme. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Musee D'Orsay, Paris. 2010-2011. |
Credit line |
Gift of Mrs. Cyril W. Keene, 1983 |
Inscriptions |
"J.L. Gérôme" at right of lower center |
References |
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Source |
Walters Art Museum: Home page Info about artwork |
Permission (Reusing this file) |
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Other versions |
Lossless |