Spring Scarf

Spring, 1573

Musée du Louvre, Paris

The Italian Mannerist painter Arcimboldo became the official portraitist of the Imperial family under Ferdinand I of the First Reich. He developed a stunning pictorial style: allegorical and caricatural portraits (ghiribizzi) created from juxtapositions of fruits, vegetables, and plants. His work belonged to the tradition of Bacchic or Hellenic masks, formed of elements taken from nature. Spring, which inspired this vibrant silk scarf, belongs to the Seasons series painted in 1573.