February (Febbraio), by Benedetto da Milano upon drawing by Bramantino, c. 1503-1508, 16th century (tapestry)

Whole artwork view. Allegory of the month of February; in the middle of the scene, on a pedestal, stands the personification of the month, represented as an old man pouring water from a jug, maybe an allusion to the god Februus; around him are young, halfbare men and women, taking part in a sort of purification ritual; on the left, workers and woodcutters carve torches from a trunk; on the right, a group of young people look at the ceremony; on the background, a bare landscape dominated by cliffs and a bare tree under which can be seen a castle, in the distance; in the upper band, from the left to the right, three circles representing a pale sun with a human face, the coat of arms of the Trivulzio family and the Pisces zodiac sign. Benedetto da Milano Sforza Castle, Milan, Lombardy, Italy