Arcimboldi Collection

The Cook, c. 1570, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593). Italian painter. The Cook, c. 1570. National Museum. Stockholm. Sweden

Italy, Florence, The Summer, fruit
Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo (also known as Arcimboldi, 1527-1593), 16th century, The Summer

Vertumnus - Rudolf II, c1590. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Vertumnus - Rudolf II, c1590. Rudolph II (1552-1612), Holy Roman Emperor from 1576, as Vertumnus, ancient Roman god of seasons who presided over gardens and orchards

Winter, 1563. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Winter, 1563. From the Four Seasons series. From the Gemaldegalerie, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Fire, 1566. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Fire, 1566. One of the four images in the Elements series. From the Gemaldegalerie, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Earth, 1570. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Earth, 1570. One of the four images in the Elements series. From a private collection

Flora, c1591. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Flora, c1591. Still life of the head and shoulders of a woman made of flowers. From a private collection

The Cook, c1570. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
The Cook, c1570. This image can be interpreted in two ways, either as a cook taking the lid off a dish of sucking pigs or, if turned upside down, as the head of the cook. From a private collection

Costume design for a costume for a dragon, 16th century. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Costume design for a costume for a dragon, 16th century. From the Department of Prints and Drawings, Florence

Design for a costume for a cook, 16th century. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Design for a costume for a cook, 16th century. From the Department of Prints and Drawings, Florence

Costume designs for allegorical characters, 16th century. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Costume designs for allegorical characters, 16th century. From the Department of Prints and Drawings, Florence

Costume designs for classical deities, 16th century. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Costume designs for classical deities, 16th century. Diana/Artemis and Mars/Ares. From the Department of Prints and Drawings, Florence

Costume design for classical figures, 16th century. Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldi
Costume design for classical figures, 16th century. Top left: Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman orator and statesman. Top right: Euclid (active 300 BC), Greek mathematician

Italy, Florence, The Spring, basket of cherries with peas
Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo (also known as Arcimboldi, 1527-1593), 16th century, The Spring. Detail: fruit and pulses

Italy, Florence, The Spring, basket of cherries with flowers
Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo (also known as Arcimboldi, 1527-1593), 16th century, The Spring

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Giuseppe Arcimboldi, an Italian artist from Florence, was a master of creating unique and imaginative artworks. One of his most famous pieces is "The Cook, " painted around 1570. In this painting, Arcimboldi skillfully arranged various vegetables and fruits to form the face of a cook, and is a testament to his creativity and ability to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary art. Another notable work by Arcimboldi is "The Spring, " which features a basket of cherries adorned with beautiful flowers. This piece showcases his attention to detail and vibrant use of colors, capturing the essence of the season. Arcimboldi's talent extended beyond still life paintings; he also created portraits such as "Vertumnus - Rudolf II" in 1590. This portrait depicts Emperor Rudolf II disguised as Vertumnus, the Roman god of seasons and change. The intricate details in this artwork reveal Arcimboldi's mastery in capturing both physical likeness and symbolic representation. In addition to these remarkable works, Arcimboldi explored different themes like nature through paintings such as "Winter" (1563), "Fire" (1566), and "Earth" (1570). These pieces showcase his ability to depict natural elements using unconventional materials. Arcimboldi's artistic range can be seen in other works like "Flora" (c1591) where he portrays the goddess of flowers surrounded by floral arrangements that make up her entire body. His costume designs for characters like dragons or cooks demonstrate his versatility even further.