Dutch Golden Age Painting

My tulips this morning.  Their vibrancy reminds me of the paintings of the dutch golden age in the 17th century.  I really want to paint them.

17th Century Tunes - La Bourrée

Since reading fictional stories of the 17th century I have developed a bit of a 17th century obsession.  I am immersing myself in finding out about the physicians and herbalists such as Nicholas Culpeper, astrologers,botanists and artists of the day.  It must have been wonderful to have lived in the Dutch golden age of artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Rachel Ruysch but not so wonderful to have lived in England during the plague, the English civil war between royalists and parliamentarians and the Great Fire of London.

I was pleasantly surprised to find some 17th century music on YouTube today.  It was much more jolly and uplifting than I imagined!  I could quite easily have this music on in the background whilst I whip up a still life in oils.  It wouldn't have the expertise and finely honed skills of a Rachel Ruysch but I could alway pretend that it did!