Spring

A smiling head made entirely of flowers: rosebud lips, a lily nose, cheeks of pink and white blossom, hair a riot of tulips and peonies, the body a green weave of leaves and stems. Arcimboldo's Spring stands for the year reborn, the freshest and most delicate of his composite seasons. Part of the Four Seasons painted for the Habsburg emperor, it carried a political flattery beneath the wit - the seasons turning in harmony as an emblem of well-ordered imperial rule. Its companions Summer, Autumn, and Winter are also in this collection.