Beauty
by Connie Handscomb
Title
Beauty
Artist
Connie Handscomb
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"Beauty is nature's fact."
~ Emily Dickinson [fr. "J.1775"]
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Taken in natural light ; unaltered; uncropped : Nature in all its natural splendour. A vase of tulips in the room .... the background provided by the cedars outside the window.
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Tulip
Genus : Tulipa spp.
Family : Liliaceae
The tulip grew wild abundantly in the central Asia mountains, in China & Mongolia, in North Africa, and later throughout Europe. Tulip designs have been found on pottery dating back to 2200 BC. So, while one might tend to think of Netherlands as home of the tulip, it was actually first cultivated in Turkey, grown in the palace gardens of the sultans, and is in fact the national flower of Hungary, Turkey & the "Tulip state" Kyrgyzstan. Turkey held the first tulip festivals - it represents abundance and indulgence - and Istanbul still hosts them. Its name is derived from the Turkish word for 'turban' (tulband) because of its shape. As a cultural symbol of the Ottoman Empire, it appeared on textiles, ceramics, woodcarvings and many other art forms.
The Flemish ambassador wrote of it, and it is believed a botanical professor, Charles de L'Ecluse, brought the tulip to Holland in 1593, having purchased it in Istanbul. The professor admired the work of the Flemish painter Paul Rubens, and after the tulip was propagated at Leiden University, it was shipped to him. Painters loved to paint the tulip. The Golden Age of Dutch painting was abundant with still life compositions of the tulip. Special tulip books were published, as were catalogues for wealthy collectors.
In 1630, one single bulb was exchanged for:
2 wheat loads, 4 rye loads, 4 fat oxen, 8 fat pigs, 12 fat sheep, 2 bogsheads of wine, 4 barrels of beer, 2 barrels of butter, 1,000 lbs. of cheese, a bed, a suit of clothes, and a silver beaker.
By the 17th c., 'Tulipmania' was in full swing: a single bulb was worth the equivalent price today of a house and a garden. The Dutch created formal geometrically shaped gardens and fountains in the Italian fashion, and the plants became "botanized" (grown for decorative qualities) whereas previously they had been kept by physicians and cooks. Initially the blooms were simple, with limited range of colours; then doubles began appearing, and the 'broken' tulips - much prized - those with intricately flamed, striped or feathered petals. No one knew then that their beauty was caused by a virus brought on by aphids, and even though the plant was inevitably weakened by it, the blooms became the most popular. It became known as the world's florists' flower, and the more brilliant and lively it was, the more it was loved.
Today, 15 groups with approximately 2,600 varieties of tulips exist, with Holland exporting 60% of the world's tulips. The species bulbs are, of course, more vigorous than the weaker hybrids which tend not to lose vigour after a year or two but whichever is used, it is now the 'people's flower' , cherished by all.
Sources:
Fifty Plants that changed the Course of History (Bill Laws)
Four Chefs, One Garden : Seasons Of West Coast Living [Roy]
Painterly Plants [Clare Foster; Photog.Ruber]
The Romantic Language Of Flowers [Davies; Saunders]
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♥ Heartfelt Gratitude to FAA groups for featuring this image :
Premium FAA Artists
Visions Of Spring PLUS A Special Featured Artist Of The Week (thank you, Dora!)
Tulip Macros
Art Of The Tulip
Flower Mania
Global Flowers Photography
10 Plus
♥ Enormous Gratitude to the collector from
Virginia who provided this image with a home: this image was SOLD!
Uploaded
February 26th, 2014
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Viewed 876 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/19/2024 at 1:53 PM
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Comments (32)
Connie Handscomb
My huge thanks to the buyer from Virginia who is providing a home for this image; I am very, very grateful! :))
Connie Handscomb
Rona, thank you! for featuring this image in Art of the Tulip {the avatar is still missing for the group...} :))
Connie Handscomb
I almost missed your feature, Martin {.. during the period of The Missing Icons}; thank you! for featuring this image in Flower Mania :))
Alana Thrower
This is a beauty! Love the graceful curve of the stem lifting the blossom! Wonderful colors and light! l/f/g+
Connie Handscomb replied:
Thank you, Alana! so pleased you like it! this is an old favourite of mine :))
Maggie Terlecki
Sweet, sweet, sweet! So delicate and I love hos we can see the tiny little ripples in the petal but still you have kept the delicate nature of this beautiful tulip. Simply sensational. I love your work, Connie! :-) Maggie
Connie Handscomb replied:
Oh, you say the nicest things, Maggie! you made my afternoon, thank you so much! by the way ... our springtime is having a pout of a day ... blustery today *shivers* :)))
Connie Handscomb
I didn't realize until now .. {later!} that you had featured this image in Tulip Macros; thank you Doug! :))
Connie Handscomb
Dora, you are a treasure! your promotion of this image as a Special Featured Artist Of The Week in Visions Of Spring has been a special {& unexpected} highlight of my weekend; thank you so much .. again! :))
Pamela Blizzard
Beautiful capture; congrats too on being selected as one of the SPECIAL FEATURED ARTISTS OF THE WEEK in the Visions of Spring group! shared
Donna Kennedy
Hi Connie, Congratulations on being chosen as a Special Featured Artist of the Week in the group, Visions of Spring!...L/F
Connie Handscomb replied:
Donna, Dora is a very special person & she surprised me in the most wonderful way .. .again!; & thank you so much, too, Donna! you are another very kind & supportive soul, as well; I appreciate you both! :))
Carrie Goeringer
This is so lovely Connie f/l
Connie Handscomb replied:
Carrie, really appreciate your kindness; thank you for taking time to visit! :))
Emily Froese
I love these muted colors! Gorgeous!
Connie Handscomb replied:
Thank you very much, Emily; taken indoors in a soft light provided the soft painterly effect :))
Photographic Art and Design by Dora Sofia Caputo
Simply gorgeous! Congrats, Connie! This beautiful and delicate capture is being featured in the Special Featured Artists of the Week Section of the Visions of Spring Homepage. F/L.
Connie Handscomb replied:
Dora, what a Sweetheart you are!! thank you so very much! this is one of my first posts to FAA .. & also one of my personal favorites for its painterly effect: a vase of tulips in our bedroom, the green cedars outside the window providing the background ... information I think I will add to the description. Life is full of wonderful surprises ... like you ... & this special feature {& yesterday I had a ride on a carousel! } :)))
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