The Fascinating Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s Portraits Made out Of Fruits, Vegetables and Fish, 1563-1591 – Design You Trust — Design Daily Since 2007

The Fascinating Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s Portraits Made out Of Fruits, Vegetables and Fish, 1563-1591

“Vertumnus – Rudolf II,” depicts Rudolph II (1552-1612), Holy Roman Emperor from 1576, as Vertumnus, the ancient Roman god of seasons who presided over gardens and orchards. 1590.
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Giuseppe Arcimboldo 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 whole collection of objects formed a recognizable likeness of the portrait subject.

These works form a distinct category from his other productions. He was a conventional court painter of portraits for three Holy Roman Emperors in Vienna and Prague, also producing religious subjects and, among other things, a series of coloured drawings of exotic animals in the imperial menagerie.

h/t: rarehistoricalphotos

“Spring,” from the Four Seasons series. 1573.
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“Summer,” from the Four Seasons series. 1563.
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“Autumn,” from the Four Seasons series. 1573.
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“Winter,” from the Four Seasons series. 1563.
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“Earth,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1570.
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“Fire,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
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“Water,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
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“Air,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
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“The Vegetable Gardener.” 1590.
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“The Cook.” When viewed upside down, the suckling pigs resemble the head of the cook. 1570.
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“Flora.”
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“Reversible Head with Basket of Fruit.”
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“The Librarian.” 1566.
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“The Four Seasons in One Head.” 1590.
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The Jurist, 1566.
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The Waiter, 1574.
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