Rudolf II as Vertumnus

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, also spelled Arcimboldi, was an Italian Mannerist painter best known for creating imaginative portraits in the shapes of human heads, though composed entirely of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and books.

Vertumnus is an oil painting produced by the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo in 1591 that consists of multiple fruits, vegetables and flowers that come together to create a portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Although Arcimboldo's colleagues commented that Vertumnus was scherzo, or humorous, there were intentional political meanings behind the piece, particularly regarding the choice of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Arcimboldo's choice to include these items was also an intentional reference to the Roman god, Vertumnus.