Who was Giuseppe Arcimboldo and why did he paint plants, fruit, vegetables and flowers in portraits?
Surrealism was a 20th century art movement, a reaction to the turbulence of the early decades of the 1900s. But centuries before, an Italian artist was creating surreal-ish paintings which blur the boundaries between portraiture, still life and natural history.
Let's take a look at two series of paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, depicting the four seasons and the four elements of matter. In both series, imaginative portraits transform plants and animals into intricate human faces.
Who was Giuseppe Arcimboldo?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a painter from 16th-century Italy, born in Milan in 1526. He trained as an artist, working on frescoes and as a designer of stained glass, as his father had.
As his career developed, he became an important painter of regal figures and personalities. He worked in Vienna and Prague, where he served as the court painter for Emperor Maximilian II and later for his son, Rudolf II.
While many of his portraits are faithful, if flattering, representations of his royal subjects, one painting stands out.
Vertumnus is a 'portrait' of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, whose image is made from fruits, flowers and vegetables. With a reference to the Roman god of seasons, gardens and growth, Arcimboldo's intention was to signify Rudolf II's reign, power and wealth.
This exploration of the dynamics and relationship between people, plants and animals continued with his two series of paintings on the seasons and the elements, which were created to celebrate the order and beauty of nature.
Each painting in these series features a single 'portrait' composed of objects symbolising different themes. The paintings combine meticulous detailed depictions of nature, with whimsical and surreal compositions which would never take place in nature.
Arcimboldo's artworks are considered to be part of an artistic style called Mannerism, which emerged in the late Renaissance. Instead of the naturalist and harmonious early Renaissance artworks, Mannerism is a more artificial and complex style. Mannerist artworks often feature elongated proportions, exaggerated poses and unusual perspectives.
What does Arcimboldo's seasons paintings mean?
This series of four portraits each represent one of the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
In Spring, Arcimboldo creates a blooming, fresh face using flowers and green leaves to embody the season’s renewal.
Summer portrays a figure whose features are made up of ripe fruits and vegetables, expressing the bounty of summer harvests.
Autumn is darker, using richly coloured fruits, nuts and mushrooms to reflect the season’s maturity and the abundance of the harvest.
Finally, Winter is formed from bare branches and roots, creating a stark, twisted face that captures the season’s cold and hibernation.
What is the meaning of Arcimboldo's element paintings?
Arcimboldo continued this theme with another series of paintings, which depicts fire, water, air and earth.
Each portrait contains objects connected to its element. For example, Fire is a face composed of flames, burning coals, and matches, symbolising heat and power.
In Water, Arcimboldo uses fish, sea creatures, and shells to create a face representing mystery of life under the seas.
The painting Earth features animals, plants, and rocks, portraying the strength and bounty of the lands.
Finally, Air includes feathers and birds to convey the element’s lightness and freedom.
All eight paintings in these two series are fascinating: almost collage-like explorations with many features and details to explore.
In the end, Arcimboldo’s seasons and elements paintings are more than just portraits - they are expressions of how interconnected nature and humanity are.