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

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.
1

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.
2

“Summer,” from the Four Seasons series. 1563.
3

“Autumn,” from the Four Seasons series. 1573.
4

“Winter,” from the Four Seasons series. 1563.
5

“Earth,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1570.
6

“Fire,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
7

“Water,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
8

“Air,” one of the four images in the Elements series. 1566.
9

“The Vegetable Gardener.” 1590.
10

“The Cook.” When viewed upside down, the suckling pigs resemble the head of the cook. 1570.
11

“Flora.”
12

“Reversible Head with Basket of Fruit.”
13

“The Librarian.” 1566.
14

“The Four Seasons in One Head.” 1590.
15

The Jurist, 1566.
16

The Waiter, 1574.
17

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

"The Paper Time Machine" Book Takes Historical Images And Imbues Them With Astonishing Color
Star Wars Mashed Up With Classic Art
Fake Family Portraits From the Art World
Science Rends The Veil: The Mysterious Photo Collection Of Edward Bateman
Concepts From Future Past: Porsche Tapiro
Jungle Bookmark
Vintage Yugoslavian Computer Magazine Cover Girls Of The 1980s-90s
In 1980, American Express Teamed Up With DeLorean To Produce A 24K Gold Plated DMC-12, But Only Two Were Sold!
"The German Hair Force": Portraits Of German Soldiers With Long Hair In 1970s
Photos Of 20 Wonderful Reliant Regal Cars
When Eight-Year-Olds Worked The Streets: Lewis Hine's Beautiful Vintage Portraits Of Young Workers In America
Amazing Black And White Photos Capture SoCal's Skate, Beach & Punk Scenes From Between The Late 1960s And Early 1980s
Concepts From Future Past: 1976 Ferrari Rainbow
1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt Concept Car Pictures
A McDonald's in New Zealand Lets Diners Eat Inside a Decommissioned Airplane
Artist Redesigned Famous Yugoslavian Posters To Bring Back Good Memories
Feelings Are Intense, Words Are Trivial: The Impressive Digital 3D Art Works of Adam Rosol
In the Days Before Fridges: Vintage Photographs Show Butcher Shop Fronts In The Victorian Era
Delahaye Type 165: The Most Beautiful French Car Of The 1930s
The Magdeburg Unicorn: The Worst Fossil Reconstruction Ever
Palestinian Artist Portraits On Cactuses
Motion Designer Uses A Video Editing Program To Bring Old Photos To Life
Curious Photos Of Cynthia, A Superstar Mannequin In The ‘30s
Elephant Hotel: The Prime Example of Novelty Architecture in 1880s