16 Mar - 12 May 2024
16 Mar - 12 May 2024
Amsterdam Museum at the AmstelMini-expo Studio Panorama
In 2024, the Tulp Festival Amsterdam will celebrate its tenth anniversary. During the festival, in the month of April, tens of thousands of tulips will bloom in the streets of Amsterdam. As part of this anniversary, the Amsterdam Museum is organizing the mini-expo Under the Tulip's Spell about the centuries-long relationship between the city and the tulip. The rare tulip book will be on display.
Studio Panorama can be visited with a regular admission ticket.
Semper Augustus, Tulpenboek, 17e eeuw, Collectie Six
The tulip book
One extraordinary piece that is on display in this mini-expo is the rare tulip book from Rijksmuseum's Six Collection. It probably belonged to the Amsterdam-born physician and mayor Nicolaas Tulp (1593-1674). The book contains over 100 drawings of different types of tulips and carnations. The sometimes enormous prices paid for the tulips can be seen on two price lists. The Semper Augustus was one of the most expensive kinds. During the development of the book, its tulip bulb cost 3.000 guilders (in the 17th century this was about the same value as 38.000 euros in 2024). At the height of 'Tulip mania' this tulip was even sold for 10.000 guilders. You could easily buy a canal house for that price at the time.
'Tulip mania'
In the 17th century, demand for the flower, which originated in Turkey, soared and even caused one of the first ever trade bubbles: the 'Tulip mania'. The bursting of this bubble led to many bankruptcies. Nevertheless, the tulip remained popular even after the 17th century, as a symbol of love and the city of Amsterdam. In the mini-expo, we talk about the history and symbolism of the flower, but also display a number of artworks starring the tulip. These include the 2022 Tulip Dress by designer Tess van Zalinge, which gives a contemporary form to an old Dutch symbol like the tulip.
Studio Panorama
On the roof and in the heart of the Amsterdam Museum's collection at Amstel 51 you can find Studio Panorama. New presentations by artists, performers or collectives can be seen here all the time. The expositions at Studio Panorama provide a new, contemporary perspective on the objects on the walls. Studio LA (Lorien Beijaert and Arna Mačkić) designed an open space with abstract objects and shapes, which makers can use to show their work and arrange this space in their own way. Studio Panorama can be visited with a regular admission ticket.
Historical tulips at the Willet-Holthuysen House
The flowering period runs from mid-April to mid-May.
Once a year around mid-April, the garden of the Willet-Holthuysen House, a 17th-century canal house on the Herengracht, is blooming with, among other things, historical tulips. Tulips that actually come from the time of the Willet-Holthuysen couple.
This exhibition was made possible by
This exhibition was made possible by Corendon Foundation and partners of Tulp Festival Amsterdam: Amsterdam Tulip Museum and Compagnon. The Amsterdam Museum is generously supported by the Municipality of Amsterdam (Main Benefactor), VriendenLoterij (Founder), and the ELJA Foundation (Main Partner for Education).