Maximilian II, His Wife, and Three Children
1563
Mannerism

After Arcimboldo was appointed to the Habsburg Court he painted a port Maximilian II with his wife and children. It is an important work in Arcimboldo’s oeuvre as it illustrates the intermediate phase in the artist’s transition to the full Mannerist style.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Mannerism
Born: 1527, Milan, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Died: 11 July 1593, Milan, Italy

Arcimboldo was a painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made from objects such as fruit, vegetables, fish, books, and flowers. However, he was also a conventional painter of portraits, including three Holy Roman Emperors, religious subjects, and exotic animals. Arcimboldo’s still-life portraits were intended as curiosities, whimsical in nature produced to amuse the court.

Four Seasons
1563-73
Mannerism
Oil on canvas
Louvre Museum, Paris, France

A series of four paintings “Four Seasons” is probably Arcimboldo’s most famous work. It is the epitome of the Mannerist style emphasising the close relationship between humanity and nature. Each portrait is representative of one of the seasons and is made up of objects that are characteristic of that time of year. Only Winter and Summer survive from the original series, however, Arcimboldo’s patron, Emperor Maximilian II, commissioned a second set in 1573 as a gift and it is that second set that remains intact

Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Mannerism
Born: 1527, Milan, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Died: 11 July 1593, Milan, Italy

Arcimboldo was a painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made from objects such as fruit, vegetables, fish, books, and flowers. However, he was also a conventional painter of portraits, including three Holy Roman Emperors, religious subjects, and exotic animals. Arcimboldo’s still-life portraits were intended as curiosities, whimsical in nature produced to amuse the court.

Flora
1589
Mannerism
Oil on board
Private Collection

“Flora” is a portrait of the Roman Goddess of flowering plants, fruit, and spring. Typically for Arcimboldo, she is composed of whole flowers, buds, petals, leaves, and stems. However, it stands out from its predecessors due to the artist’s subtlety and delicacy of technique, adhering more to traditional understandings of beauty rather than the grotesque.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Mannerism
Born: 1527, Milan, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Died: 11 July 1593, Milan, Italy

Arcimboldo was a painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made from objects such as fruit, vegetables, fish, books, and flowers. However, he was also a conventional painter of portraits, including three Holy Roman Emperors, religious subjects, and exotic animals. Arcimboldo’s still-life portraits were intended as curiosities, whimsical in nature produced to amuse the court.