Vertumnus and Pomona

1617

In his Metamorphoses the Roman poet Ovid writes about Vertumnus, the god of seasons who fell in love with Pomona, a ravishing nymph who cared for fruit and orchards. She wanted nothing to do with him, however, and was interested only in her garden. In the guise of an old woman, Vertumnus nevertheless won Pomona over by pointing out that as grape vines need the elm, so does one need a partner.