The Lawyer, possibly Ulrich Zasius, 1461-1536, humanist, jurist

Arcimboldo’s paintings show human figures made up of different objects, with the aim of representing a particular subject. Here, a pile of books and documents has been draped in a fur-trimmed gown. The face consists of birds and fishes. The portrait is assumed to be of an official or scholar, possibly the lawyer Ulrich Zasius. Arcimboldo’s allegorical paintings were held in great esteem by Maximilian II and Rudolf II. This one belonged to the imperial collections in Prague and was brought to Sweden after the Thirty Years War.