The Black Tulip characters

Appears from the start

Grand Pensionary of Holland and brother of Cornelius de Witt. A leading republican statesman, he has lost popular support as war and invasion produce panic. He attempts to rescue his brother from prison while a hostile crowd gathers outside.

Appears from the start

A Dutch statesman and the brother of John de Witt. Accused of plotting against William of Orange, he endures imprisonment and torture without giving the confession his enemies seek. His private correspondence later creates danger for his godson, Cornelius van Baerle.

Also known as The Prince of Orange

Appears from the start

The young political rival of the de Witt brothers and the rising leader of the Netherlands during the crisis of 1672. Controlled and watchful, he understands the forces gathering against the republican statesmen and soon holds authority over the fates of those connected with them.

Appears from the start

An informer whose accusation of conspiracy helps place Cornelius de Witt in prison. His claims feed the political hatred surrounding the de Witt brothers during the invasion crisis.

First appears in chapter 5

A wealthy young doctor in Dordrecht and godson of Cornelius de Witt. He has withdrawn from politics to devote himself to cultivating tulips. Gentle, absorbed, and unusually patient, he hopes to win the Haarlem Horticultural Society's prize by producing a truly black flower.

First appears in chapter 5

Van Baerle's neighboring tulip grower and jealous rival. Years of painstaking work have brought him less success, and the sight of Van Baerle approaching the coveted black tulip turns envy into determined hostility.

First appears in chapter 7

A trusted servant of Cornelius de Witt. He carries a sealed packet of political letters to van Baerle, who accepts it out of loyalty without examining the contents.

First appears in chapter 9

The harsh jailer placed in charge of van Baerle after his arrest. Suspicious of books, secret messages, and his prisoner's interest in tulips, he uses his authority roughly and tries to prevent communication with his daughter Rosa.

First appears in chapter 10

Gryphus's courageous daughter. She encounters van Baerle during his imprisonment and responds to his peril with curiosity and compassion, despite her father's severity and suspicion.

First appears in chapter 25

The president of the Haarlem Horticultural Society and guardian of its reward for the first flawless black tulip. Proud of proper procedure and the honor of the society, he must judge competing claims when the extraordinary flower is presented.