The Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, who commissioned this painting, loved to have his portrait taken, and is said to have stared on end in rapture at the great masterpieces. He thus had his portrait painted by many of the best artists of his day, including Hans von Aachen, Adrian de Vries, and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Rudolph had collected such a vast amount of paintings that his collection was one of the greatest in Europe. In his typical style, Arcimboldo created Rudolph’s image as the character of Vertumnus, the Roman God of plant life, growth, and the change of seasons, compiled of fresh fruit and vegetables.
