The “Paragon Aertsen” is a tulip that seems to have left little traces in the history books. Nevertheless, her name provides valuable clues.
The term ‘Paragon’ was often used to denote a tulip variety of exceptional quality, as this term means ‘model’ or ‘perfect example’.
This suggests that the “Paragon Aertsen” was a tulip variety that met the 17th-century ideal of a tulip: a ‘broken’ flower with full, large petals.
The addition of ‘Aertsen’ in the name is likely a reference to the grower. Aertsen is a Dutch surname derived from the word ‘earth,’ which is fitting given the profession of the tulip grower, who literally put his hands in the earth to cultivate his flowers.
Despite the scarce historical data, the “Paragon Aertsen” was undoubtedly a striking tulip in her time, a perfect embodiment of the aesthetic standards of the tulip mania.
The 99 NFT tulips in various art styles for the “Paragon Aertsen” have the theme ‘earth’. The portrait of the “Paragon Aertsen” from the ‘Ninetynine Tulips’ collection, serves as the inspiration for the Aertsen NFT tulips.
Ninetynine Tulips 