Tulips from Amsterdam – the flower of this summer
Homage is being paid to the tulip this summer. The elegant flower, that made its way via the silk roads of Central Asia, to the Netherlands, is featuring in abundance this summer.
According to Vogue’s August edition the tulip is going from strength to strength this summer; along with the explosion of floral printed jackets, skirts, dresses and espadrilles (yes you heard correctly), that feature heavily this season. An article by Hayley Maitland – Flash Bulbs – pays homage to the appearance of this elegant flower (Vogue, August, 2017).
Maitland highlights an exhibition in Bowes Museum, Turkish Tulips (July 29 to November 5), that features a variety of art installations which pay tribute to the elegant flower. Even Damian Hirst has made a contribution to the exhibition with a ‘tongue in cheek’ poster – that is also suitably egocentric – and Peter Blake has also made a contribution by recreating tulips from the paintings of the Dutch masters (Vogue, August, 2017).
A new film;Tulip Frenzy, with Alicia Vikander, Cara Delevingne, Judy Dench and Christopher Waltz – is also outlined by Maitland. This film is set in the 1630s, which was during the hay day of the tulip obsession in mainland Europe and it references the flower and the paintings associated with the ‘Dutch Golden Age’ throughout (Vogue, August, 2017)
Perhaps at a time when the Brits are turning their backs on the romanticism of European culture and animosities are increasing, this beautiful flower can make us remember the good old days. Some may feel the tulip’s soft elegant petals can distract from the thorny red English rose that’s puncturing the gaiety of daily life.