Without contact lenses, these tulips are priceless

One of my favourite paintings is called «Tulips». It depicts a yellow bouquet of tulips and was created by the contemporary artist Gerhard Richter, who became famous for his paintings of blurred photographs. The tulips seem to be on a table in a clear vase. It looks like there’s a chair behind the table. The picture is so blurred that it’s hard to recognise all the things that might or might not be there. That's what makes the picture so appealing to me.

As with most of his photographic paintings, Gerhard Richter blurred the wet oil paint with a broad brush. This technique creates the photographic effect of an out-of-focus image. I’ve never seen the original live, but I’ve seen other works by Richter and I could have lingered for hours in front of all his paintings. I’m fascinated by the way the blurred effect in his pictures leaves room for my own interpretations. I also find it remarkable that he uses a squeegee or a brush to blur a painting that previously looked like an actual photograph.

I will never own the painting by Gerhard Richter, who is considered the most expensive living artist in the world. His pictures are worth tens of millions of Swiss Francs. But I usually buy Swiss tulips from the market in spring. Recently, I ordered a bouquet of tulips online, as flower shops and markets will be closed for this year's tulip season.

Please note: The tulips are taking a short Easter break and will be available again starting 14 April 2020.

Cut flowers

Rutishauser Blumen Tulips (Bouquet)

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Having things delivered to my home has become almost routine in these times. My memories of all these boxes are as blurred as the artist's paintings. But when I received fresh tulips, something was different. The flower bouquet arrives in a colourfully printed box and was waiting for me in front of my doorstep. I opened them to find perfect tulips. They weren’t damaged at all. Packing paper protected the bouquet and a damp cloth kept it fresh.

The buds were still closed. To ensure that the tulips remain beautiful for as long as possible, they came with instructions on how to take care of them as well as a sachet of flower nutrients.

Not only how they arrived, but also what they looked like later on my table was something special. Without wearing my contact lenses, it almost feels as if I’m standing in front of Gerhard Richter's «Tulips».