Tulip named Bizard Rosette
1741 - 1795
Cornelis van Noorde's delicate 1765 illustration captures a 'Bizard Rosette' tulip, famous for its dramatic, flame-like streaks of deep purple and black against pale yellow petals. This precise drawing reflects the enduring Dutch obsession with these exotic flowers long after the infamous 'Tulip Mania' of the 1630s. Those striking patterns weren't actually natural breeding; they were caused by a mosaic virus that infected the bulbs, making each bloom uniquely unpredictable and incredibly valuable to collectors. Van Noorde's scientific style preserves the fleeting beauty of a flower that would have been a true status symbol in 18th-century Holland.
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