What is Arcimboldo famous for?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (also spelled Arcimboldi; 1527 – July 11, 1593) was an Italian painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of such objects as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books – that is, he painted representations of these objects on the canvas arranged in such a way that the …
Where can I see Arcimboldo?
The works of Giuseppe Arcimboldo can be found on view in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Habsburg Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck; the Louvre in Paris; Denver Art Museum in Denver, as well as in numerous museums in Italy and Sweden. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable Giuseppe Arcimboldo paintings!
How old is Giuseppe Arcimboldo?

67 years (1526–1593)Giuseppe Arcimboldo / Age at death
Why did Arcimboldo paint the Four Seasons?
To celebrate the reign of Emperor Maximilian II, Arcimboldo presented two series of composite heads: The Seasons and The Elements. In The Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter), created in 1563, Arcimboldo combined plants associated with a par- ticular season to form a portrait of that time of year.
Did Arcimboldo use oil paint?
Vertumnus is an oil painting produced by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in 1591 that consists of multiple fruits, vegetables and flowers that come together to create a portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II.
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Vertumnus (painting)
Vertumnus | |
---|---|
Year | 1591 |
Medium | Oil paint |
Location | Skokloster Castle |
What medium did Arcimboldo use?

PaintingGiuseppe Arcimboldo / Form
Arcimboldo trained in stained glass design and fresco painting, producing work for local cathedrals from the age of 21. His career took a decisive step forward in 1549 when he was commissioned to design stained glass windows for the Duomo.
Who did Arcimboldo influence?
It was not until the 20th century that his paintings attracted new interest, having a significant influence on the Surrealism movement and the work of Salvador Dali.
Did Giuseppe Arcimboldo get married?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was born around 1526 in Milan, Italy. Very little information has survived about his personal life, so it is not known whether he married or had any children. Arcimboldo is principally known for his composite portraits.
Why did Arcimboldo use vegetables?
The initial impression of Arcimboldo’s Vertumnus was that it was joke due to the whimsical nature of the piece. However, Vertumnus was not meant to be presented only as a joke. Rather, the use of fruits and vegetables were meant to display Rudolf II’s “metamorphoses of power over the world for a ruler”.
What is an Arcimboldo style?
Arcimboldo was an Italian Mannerist painter known for his extraordinary, and sometimes monstrous, human portraits. His unique collage style, which embodies a true surreal wit, is comprised of fruit and vegetables, animals, books, and other objects.
What inspired Arcimboldo?
Scholars say Arcimboldo must have been influenced by Leonardo da Vinci’s grotesque imaginary figures, such as this c. 1500 sketch, admired in their time as studies of human temperament.