Good for a Girl: Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Table by Rachel Ruyschs At the beginning of the 16th century the Netherlands experimented with what was called “tulipmania” the beginning of the nations love for flora and foliage (Taylor 13). The result of this impressive invasion of flowers was a society that took a historic turn whose results remain today. Flower dealers, botanists, and floral still life artists were occupations that accurately reflected the demands of the Low Countries (Brown). An interesting example of a life influenced by and dedicated to archiving the flower craze was Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750), the 17th-century Dutch floral painter. Rachel Ruyschs' career spans the 17th and 18th centuries, and her remarkably accurate floral pieces reflect the maturing, yet evolving, art of floral still life painting ("Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography"). Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Table (1716) by Ruyschs is an excellent example of a painting that adequately represents the genre of art that was created exclusively through specific social events. Rampant speculation during the flower craze eventually led the Netherlands to a stock market crash in 1637 (Taylor 40). The events preceding and following “tulip mania” were incorporated into history and archived in paintings. Ruych's career did not begin until long after the accident; however floral artists continued through the collapse and into the following century (“Rachel Ruysch: Bibliogra...