Published in 1850, The Black Tulip is set in the Netherlands at the height of tulip mania and political upheaval in 1672. While the price of tulips skyrockets, the city of Haarlem sets a prize of 100,000 francs for whomever could grow the first black tulip. Prosperous Cornelius Van Baerle accepts the challenge. But when his envious neighbor, Isaac Boxtel, denounces Van Baerle as a traitor, his life is changed forever. A classic of 19th century literature, the story has been adapted numerous times for screen and stage.