Jan Laurensz. van der Vinne was the son of Laurens van der Vinne (1658-1729). He joined the Haarlem Guild on 1729 and also taught his son Vincent Jansz. van der Vinne (1736-1811). Jan Laurensz. is most known for his drawings of flowers and painting landscapes.[1]
Well known and very famous is the Dutch "Tulip Mania" from c. 1634-1636, when single tulip bulbs fetched amounts of 20.000 guilders during this hausse. Renowned painters like Jan van Goyen lost a fortune after the mania crashed and the crach was evident.
Less well known is the "Hyacinth Mania" which arose a century later when prices for a single hyacinth bulb reached the level of a house in Amsterdam during the "Silver Century".[2]
About forty tulip albums with drawings survive and one single album with hyacinth drawings came to the market in 1996 with Sotheby's, Amsterdam. This album consisted of forty-nine drawings, of which thirty were by Hendrik Budde and twelve by Jan Laurensz. van der Vinne and one single sheet by his elder brother Vincent van der Vinne.[3]
Our drawing is exactly the same species as is the "Koningin van Sceba" drawing in the Sotheby's album.[3]
[1] B.C. Sliggers en D.F. Goudriaan, 'De Haarlemse kunstenaarsfamilie Van der Vinne', Jaarboek Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie 41 (1987), p. 148-208.
[2] E.H. Krelage, Drie eeuwen bloembollenexport. Den Haag, 1946.
[3] An eighteenth-century dutch album of hyacinth studies. With contributions by Hendrik Budde and Jan II van der Vinne. Lot #135, 12 November 1996, Sotheby's, Amsterdam.
