Two Tulips (recto); One Tulip (verso) (Front)

This page from a tulpenboek - an album of painted portraits of tulips - depicts two tulips on the recto and a third on the verso. The artist used layers of watercolor to emulate the shape and pattern of individual petals and closely cropped individual flowers in order to emphasize their unique character. Each bloom is identified by its name, which, following the Pre-Linnaean Dutch convention, can refer to their color, beauty, and cultivator. On the recto, the two tulips, the “Admirael Secretaris” and “Secretaris” are of a similar red and white variety. The additional designation of "admirael" suggests that the bloom on the left, with its longer petals and soft curve is more exceptional than the flower to the right. On the verso is the “Witte Marvelje", whose pointed petals and striations of red likely inspired its name, which means "little white marvel."