Tulips were once a hot commodity, an integral part of the Dutch Golden Age, and a perenially popular subject for Dutch artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. Fortunes tumbled when, in 1637, the “tulip bubble” burst, leaving speculators with hands full of worthless bulbs.

Opening June 1 at the Rijksmuseum is a small show centered on this flower. One highlight is a rare pair of intact exemplars of “tulip books,” whose pages feature minutely rendered depictions of tulips.