Help! Can you tell me what painting this is?

[76365...@compuserve.com]

Help! I have a mission impossible for someone knowledgeable about art.
I would like to know the name and/or artist of a particular painting, but I can
only describe it.

Tonight I was watching Adam Smith's show on PBS, which was about the
madness of crowds, and crowd psychology, especially as it relates to markets:
stocks, real estate, etc. One of the "bubble" manias described was the Dutch
tulip mania of the 1600's, where tulip prices skyrocketed. Eventually, one tulip
bulb became equivalent in value to tonnes of agricultural commodities, or
thousands of florins (Dutch currency).

In response to this mania, evidently Dutch artists painted satirical paintings,
criticizing the public for going crazy in pursuit of tulips. The painting I am looking
for was displayed on the show tonight, if briefly. It was a painting of at least
three monkeys (symbolizing tulip brokers, I guess) carrying tulip bulbs to what
looked to be a table, or perhaps a market of some kind. Most of the colours were
brownish, although the flower bulbs were red. From my limited knowledge of
painting, I would guess that it is an oil painting.

I think that this painting would be a particularly appropriate commentary on
today's financial markets, especially given the events of this last week, when
it appeared that once again the madness of crowd psychology dominated. I
would appreciate any information that anybody could pass along.

Thanks very much,

Steve

[stu...@gutenberg.com]

The best book on the subject of the Dutch tulipomania was written by a
man named Blunt (Anthony Blunt's brother). I think that a copy of the
painting you mentioned is reproduced in his book.
Hope this helps.
Michael Macaulay