As I’ve mentioned before, my most recent novel, Dual Memory, was inspired by tulipmania, a historical event that occurred in Holland in the 1630s during the Dutch Golden Age. One of the facts that inspired me is that although tulipmania is widely known as the folly-filled speculative fever that drove many people into poverty, it simply didn’t happen. Yes, Dutch merchants invested in tulips, and the prices soared, but tulips were pretty good investments, no one went broke, and the anxiety that fueled false reports about “tulipmania” had to do a lot with class and political power.

Merchants in the Dutch Golden Age also invested in art, especially portraits, even portraits of tulips rendered by the finest artists of the day. This is why the protagonist of my novel is an artist. But why did Dutch investors want art?

As Anne Goldgar explains in her book Tulipmania: Money, Honor, and Knowledge in the Dutch Golden Age, it had to do with the mentality of the times in that part of Europe. Explorers, colonizers, and trading vessels were bringing back all kinds of exotic bits from the rest of the world like sea shells, beautiful stones, coins, coconuts, rattles from snakes, stuffed birds, tortoise shells, butterflies, and “anything that is strange.” Rich men created “cabinets of curiosities” to show off their finds, entertain friends, and display their knowledge and good taste.

Along with natural wonders, artificial wonders like art added to the thrill and glory of collecting. Artists’ ability to create their own wonders seemed to put them on a plane equal to God because they could remake nature and thwart the brevity of beauty. Collectors also amassed living things, such as companion dogs and flowers new to Europe, especially tulips. These were rich men — and occasionally rich women — so they could afford to commission art to enhance their collections.

This explains the watercolor portrait (above) of a Koornhert tulip by Pieter Holsteyn II, who is best known for making portraits of objects for collectors. This particular variety of tulip was named for a prominent Amsterdam merchant and collector, Volckert Dircksz Coonhart. Both the tulip and the art were good investments, which is why Harvard Art Museums now owns this stunning portrait.

History offers surprising inspirations for novelists, I believe. The past is as strange as any distant planet.

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The trade paperback edition of Dual Memory comes out on April 16 and is available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller. Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook editions are also available.