The Pleasures of the Seasons: Spring

These people enjoying the pleasures of spring—playing music, dancing, and canoodling—are the 18th-century equivalent of a bunch of college kids on spring break. Above the festive musicians and the dancing couple at the center, sculpted putti cavort on a large urn. At the left, lovemaking is more urgent, as a young couple embrace below a sculpture of Venus crowned by Cupid. Venus, the goddess of love, is traditionally associated with springtime.