Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo

With Galerie Andree & Hipola, Madrid, by 1962;
Private Collection, Paris. 

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Estio This work has an old lining. The paint layer seems to be stable and the surface is quite attractive. The painting seems to be dirty. If it were cleaned, the palette would brighten, but old restorations would be removed. These are visible under ultraviolet light addressing spots of losses, particularly in the background in the center right, lower right corner, and in the center of the left side. There are also restorations along the bottom edge and a few isolated spots within the figure. However, there is no visible abrasion or weakness to the paint layer. The results would be impressive if the picture were properly restored. Primavera This picture shows hardly any restorations under ultraviolet light or to the naked eye. There seems to be restoration beneath the white collar, particularly under the left end of this collar. There is also a horizontal restoration in the center of the left side. If the work were cleaned, other restorations would presumably become more apparent, particularly in the torso of the floral figure, but the head and the headdress seem to be particularly healthy. Like the other painting in the pair, this picture does appear to be quite noticeably dirty, and cleaning is recommended.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Milanese by birth, Giuseppe Arcimboldo found huge fame and success at the courts of Vienna and Prague for his unusual anthropomorphic designs such as the present pair of the seasons Spring and Summer. Celebrated for their wit and artifice, the composite heads were much imitated in the artist’s lifetime and his idiosyncratic style arguably makes him the most modern sixteenth-century painter, whose work continued to resonate with artists well into the twentieth century, particularly with the Surrealists and Salvador Dalí.