Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Tulip

Judith Jans Leyster, 1643

Name Class Date
Judith Jans Leyster, Tulip (1643). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Judith Jans Leyster topimpressionists.com/en/artists/judith-jans-leyster/
Artist’s dates
1609 – 1660
Painted
1643
Movement
Dutch Golden Age Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Judith Jans Leyster died in 1660; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1730.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster

When was this painted?

  1. 1600
  2. 1610
  3. 1620
  4. 1630
  5. 1640
  6. 1650
  7. 1660

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 51 at death.

Painted when the artist was 34. The artist lived to 51. 22 of the 26 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Judith Jans Leyster (1609–1660) ▲ this work, 1643 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1629 Main working years: 1629–1635 Late works: from 1635

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Putty #dbd0ca

    Catalogued palette

    • #DBD0CA
    • #583732
    • #7A7369
    • #A89F9A

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Putty
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Judith Jans Leyster over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 53.8%
    2. 2 United States of America 23.1%
    3. 3 Italy 7.7%
    4. 4 Malaysia 7.7%
    5. 5 Réunion 7.7%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 13 most looked-at works by Judith Jans Leyster

    1. 1 Young Flute Player, 1635 11.8%
    2. 2 Carousing Couple, 1630 11.8%
    3. 3 The proposition 11.8%
    4. 4 The Last Drop, 1629 11.8%
    5. 5 Jolly Toper, 1629 5.9%
    6. 6 Three Boys Merry-making, 1629 5.9%
    7. 7 Tulip, 1643 this painting 5.9%
    8. 8 Merry Company, 1630 5.9%
    9. 9 The Jester, 1625 5.9%
    10. 10 Serenade, 1629 5.9%
    11. 11 A Boy and a Girl with a Cat and an Eel 5.9%
    12. 12 Two musicians, 1629 5.9%
    13. 13 The Serenade, 1629 5.9%

    Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 35 works by this artist, of which 13 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 7 of them, with 5.9% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Judith Jans Leyster

    Born in Haarlem, Netherlands

    early life and training

    judith jans leyster, a pioneering female painter, was born in july 1609 in haarlem, netherlands. she was the eighth child of jan willemsz leyster, a cloth maker who later became a brewer. while her training is not well-documented, it's believed that she learned painting from frans pietersz de grebber, a respected artist with a workshop in haarlem.

    artistic career

    leyster's first known signed works, serenade and jolly topper, date back to 1629 when she was just twenty years old. by 1633, she became a member of the haarlem guild of st. luke, making her one of the first female artists to be part of this prestigious organization.

    notable works and collaborations

    some of leyster's notable works include:

    self-portrait (c. 1633), now at the national gallery of art, washington, d.c., which may have been her presentation piece to the guild.

    two illustrations in a book about tulips from 1643, showcasing her versatility.

    a portrait from 1652 and a still life from 1654, discovered in a private collection in the 21st century, demonstrate her enduring skill.

    collaborations with jan miense molenaer: leyster married jan miense molenaer, a more prolific artist, in 1636. they worked together, sharing a studio in haarlem, and had five children.

    legacy and rediscovery

    despite being highly regarded by her contemporaries, leyster's work was largely forgotten after her death in 1660. it wasn't until 1893 that she was rediscovered, and scholars began to correctly attribute her works. today, her paintings are recognized as significant contributions to the dutch golden age.

    explore more of leyster's works on AllPaintingsStore.com.

    learn about the dutch golden age and its notable artists at wikipedia.

    discover other female artists from the era on the dutch golden age art movement page.

    conclusion

    judith jans leyster's trailblazing career as a female painter in the 17th century netherlands has left an indelible mark on art history. her rediscovery and recognition serve as a testament to her enduring talent and the evolving perception of women in the art world. museum name: national gallery of art, washington, d.c.

    the dutch golden age art movement

    judith jans leyster's works on AllPaintingsStore.com

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Tulip

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Leyster, Judith Jans. Tulip. 1643, https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/
    APA
    Leyster, Judith Jans (1643). Tulip [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/
    Chicago
    Judith Jans Leyster. Tulip. 1643. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/
    Harvard
    Leyster, Judith Jans (1643) Tulip. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-tulip-8XYCUT-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: tulip, floral art, botanical. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Young Flute Player (1635), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Dutch Golden Age: Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    Tulip — Judith Jans Leyster Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    At what age did Judith Jans Leyster make "Tulip"?

    Judith Jans Leyster made "Tulip" at the age of 34. The artist was born in 1609 and the work is dated 1643.

    Who created "Tulip"?

    The artist behind "Tulip" is Judith Jans Leyster. The work is catalogued under Judith Jans Leyster's name.

    What color palette is used in "Tulip" by Judith Jans Leyster?

    "Tulip" by Judith Jans Leyster uses a neutrals color palette. The palette summarizes the work's overall color character.