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rtumnus 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. Vertumnus was presented to Rudolf II after its completion. It was seized by the Swedish army after the Thirty Years' War. Although art historians lost track of Vertumnus after this shift, it reappeared in 1845 in Sweden in Skokloster Castle, where it remains. Historical context Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II During Rudolf II's 29-year rule in Hungary and Bohemia, art was celebrated and praised. His time as Holy Roman Emperor, now named "Rudolfine Prague", set an unprecedented era for the appreciation of art, with much of this cultivation pushed by Rudolf II himself. This acceptance of art is what allowed Arcimboldo to thrive in his court, especially with the unprecedented, unique style Arcimboldo came to be known for. The initial impression of Arcimboldo's Vertumnus was that it was joke due to the whimsical nature of the piece. However, Vertumnus was not meant to be presented only as a joke. Rather, the use of fruits and vegetables were meant to display Rudolf II's "metamorphoses of power over the world for a ruler". The imperial patron behind Vertumnus, the specific fruit choices that act as power propaganda, and the copies of Vertumnus that were distributed throughout Europe, "all suggest their role as political allegories". Rudolf II's portrait itself encapsulated the perf