Imagine a painting that, instead of human characteristics and senses, depicts a head made from fruits and vegetables. At first, the idea might seem bizarre and, to some extent grotesque, however, this is in fact the truth. This article talks about the whimsical artworks by an Italian painter named Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who in fact introduced such surrealist paintings. Born in Milan in the year 1527, Arcimboldo was a Mannerist painter who created paintings of human figures using books, fruits, animals, and even vegetables! His paintings showcase the placement and positioning of these fruits or vegetables in a manner that resonated with an actual human head and torso.
Education
Giuseppe’s father, Biagio Arcimboldo, was a lesser-known painter himself who worked in the Duomo cathedral. Presumably, inspired by his father and uncle, Giuseppe also worked as a designer for stained glass windows in 1549. From a young age, he trained in frescoes and stained glass design, working for local cathedrals. In 1558, he created a cartoon for the Dormition of the Virgin tapestry, which is on display at the Como Cathedral to this day.
Notable Patrons
Giuseppe’s traditional and conventional paintings are not as renowned as his Four Elements and Seasons artworks. The commissions at the cathedrals by him caught the attention of Emperor Ferdinand I in Vienna, where he was later patronised by Maximillian II and his son, Rudolf II, at the Habsburg Court in Prague. He also worked as the decorator and costume designer in the court. At the Habsburg court, he worked along with zoologists, botanists, and physicians, which might have influenced his paintings. As Morigia wrote, “This noble and inspired man fashioned a great number of rare and delicate works of art which caused considerable amazement among all the illustrious noblemen who used to congregate there, and his lord and master was very pleased with him.” Arcimboldo finally left the service of Rudolf II, who was the last emperor he worked under in 1592, and made a journey to his home city, Milan.
Signature Works
Some of his best works include ‘Vertumnus’, a portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II; his image is made from fruits, flowers and vegetables, hinting at the Roman Gods of season, garden and growth. This painting style explores the relationship between people and nature. Rudolf II was also known for his personal interest in horticulture, exotic animals, and botany.
Another such series of paintings is called Seasons – Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn.
In the Spring art piece, Arcimboldo creates a blooming, fresh face using flowers and green leaves to depict the season’s revival.
Summer portrays a figure whose features are particularly made up of ripe fruits and vegetables, expressing the abundance of the summer harvests.
Autumn is darker, using richly coloured fruits, nuts and mushrooms to reflect the withering of leaves and peak of the seasons.
Finally, Winter is formed from bare branches and roots, creating a twisted face that captures the season’s cold and dryness.
Impact
During the Swedish invasion of Prague in 1648, most of his work was unfortunately lost due to the Thirty Years’ War. Arcimboldo’s works were hidden away from the world for a really long period. It was only in the 20th century that the Surrealists, like Salvador Dali, inspired by his paintings, expressed immense admiration for them. Many art historians today debate whether the bizarre, grotesque creation of these paintings was due to the artists’ being mentally imbalanced or was it fascination with the creations of Leonardo da Vinci. His artworks drew parallels between nature and humans, bringing symbolism into these pictures. An exhibition titled ‘The Arcimboldo Effect: Transformations of the face from 16th century to the 20th century’ in Venice includes his numerous double-meaning paintings.