Francesco Paolo MichettiItalian, 1851–1929Springtime and Love
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Springtime and Love” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
This vibrant scene of children playing on a sun-drenched hilltop was part of a series by Francesco Michetti inspired by the people, landscape, festivals and other events in Abruzzo, Italy. Two figures on the right play tambourines, quintessential instruments of southern Italian folk music. With its rounded shape encircled by metal jingles, the tambourine represented for local audiences the sun and its rays spreading light and heat throughout the region. In the foreground a spaniel dog with a large, glassy eye stares out at the viewer like a reproachful commentator on his human companions’ unbridled folly.
Springtime and Love was shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878 and in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair (also known as the Columbian Exposition). It entered the museum’s permanent collection eight years later.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1901.429
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
![Keeper of the Turkeys [Gardeuse de dindons], Francesco Paolo Michetti, 1876](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/b65aea1a-262f-4ade-b0d0-b20fd7478731/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
