Those who do not like a lot of letters and just want to see four forces and the seasons of Giuseppe Arcimboldo - scroll down immediately. In the article short biography Giuseppe Arcimboldo and his paintings.
Short biography of Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo looking at modern Art How on…Self-portrait of Giuseppe.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo born 1527 in Milan. History is silent about where he learned to write so well, but the captain obviously claims that most likely Giuseppe was taught by his own dad, also an artist. Father and grandfather (the archbishop, by the way) were intelligent and educated people, so Giuseppe's good company was provided (for example, in the form of a student of Leonardo da Vinci - Bernardino Luini).
Video (slide show) with paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Career of Giuseppe Arcimboldo
your career Arcimboldo he started out trite for the artists of that time - painting frescoes with scenes from the lives of the saints. Apparently, he did it successfully, as he was invited by Emperor Ferdinand to serve as a court painter. Soon he made a very good career under the Habsburgs. Since the ascension to the throne of Maximilian, he has been working as the main court painter. During this period, the painter creates the series "Four Elements", "Seasons" and "Professions".
In addition to painting, Giuseppe organized all the sabantui, games, orgies and other window dressing at the court of the emperor. In addition, he was engaged in decoration, architecture and performed the duties of an engineer (inventing hydraulic machines, all of a sudden). He continued this activity under Rudolf II. In general, the man was a real "art director" and even more. However, modern art directors smoke nervously. With his versatility, he reminds me of that very unforgettable Leonardo.
Having successfully served at the court of three emperors in Prague, the artist retired and returned to Milan. In 1591 Giuseppe wrote his last two works - "Vertumn" and "Flora", from which the emperor wrote with boiling water and granted the artist the title of count palatine. Well, still, so flattering, having drawn in the form of a god of fertility, and even skillfully and with imagination - I would also write. In 1593, Arcimboldo died of urinary retention caused by a commonplace urolithiasis. This is sad. And he could have painted many more pictures.
Paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo is a very extraordinary person in some way. In one of the blogs, he was called the great-grandfather of surrealism. It's hard to come up with a more accurate nickname - just look at his unusual paintings. You know, at one time, as it is possible for you now, I thought that unusual, fantastic, fabulous or surreal works are typical only for contemporary artists, and the old masters were content only with the image of reality. What was my surprise when, as a child, I was given an encyclopedia of art (yes, everything is so neglected - this disease has been since childhood) and I learned about artists such as Bosch and Arcimboldo, and later Giorgio de Chirico. And if in the works of Bosch only surrealistic elements are traced, then when you see the paintings of Arcimboldo, you say to yourself: “What the hell is mannerism! This is the real surrealism of the 16th century.”
Impressions from the paintings of Arcimboldo
It seems that ancient spirits and deities of nature descended on the artist’s canvases. The magnificent arrangement of fruits, vegetables, animals and flowers that make up the characters gives the feeling of a real, if slightly grotesque portrait. Despite the obvious fantasticness, these collages seem to have their own character - looking at the title of the picture, you understand how accurate and characteristic the image is. And what is the quality of execution - these portraits of still lifes are so skillfully written out, in the spirit of the best masters of the Renaissance. Again, many modern surrealists nervously smoke on the sidelines. In addition, there is a strange sense of humor in the artist's creations, and sometimes satire.
This strange grotesque, because of which the works sometimes look a little funny, only add some kind of eerie realism to his paintings. But the most amazing thing is that Arcimboldo's work was extremely popular during his lifetime. To be honest, one of the main thoughts that entered my mind when I first looked at Giuseppe's work was: "And how was he not burned at the stake then for such a dangerous heresy."
It turns out that not only was it not burned, moreover, Arcimboldo was imitated and copied, and the emperor generously rewarded him for his portrait (well, if you are depicted as a god of fertility, you turn a blind eye to the fact that the picture is unusual). Although there were also those who considered Giuseppe an extravagant who tramples on tradition. Well, what can you do, in every time there are severe conservative mastodons, lovers of yelling that before the girls were more beautiful, better artists, vodka is sweeter, and the grass is greener.
Seasons of Arcimboldo
There were several versions of The Seasons. Arcimboldo wrote the first version under Maximillian, in honor of the New Year's holiday. The second version was written already under Rudolph. To be honest, the first sample looks somehow kosher, so I posted it. Series seasons, perhaps my favorite, although the four elements, shifters and professions are also quite. On the one hand, the symbolic accuracy of the artist is striking, so aptly he displayed the spirit of each season. On the other hand, how unscrupulous these Italians are if they grow lemons in winter.
Clickable.
Now you understand what I meant about character? Summer looks like a cheerful, ruddy granny, autumn - grandpa is already more serious. Spring is like a cheerful clown. Well, winter, apparently, is their main one.
The Four Elements of Arcimboldo
Four elements, as it is not difficult to guess, symbolize the main four elements. These works are even more like some kind of Indian spirits or very complex totems. Animals, overlapping and intertwining, create an unusual image, as if descended from a witch's book. Even takes aback. The Four Elements were also written at the court of Maximilian. In general, the artist was very lucky with patrons. Both Maximillian and Rudolf were very fond of fine arts and, in particular, everything strange and unusual. So Giuseppe, with his bizarre paintings, fit into their crowd very well.
I wrote about this artist in the project "The Seasons". But recently in the magazine "Caravan of stories" I found an old article by Elena Korovina dedicated to Arcimboldo. And although I fully agree with NADYNROM that the articles in Caravan are more like fictional stories, with chronological inaccuracies, they are more vivid and emotional than the dry lines of biographies. Therefore, I decided to reprint this article here, after placing the biography of the artist, taken from Wikipedia.
So, Giuseppe Arcimboldo in numbers, stories and pictures!
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Self-portrait 1575
Italian painter, decorator, representative of mannerism. His work is seen as an anticipation of surrealism. He became famous for his extravagant paintings depicting human faces in the form of compositions of vegetables and fruits, often with portrait resemblance.
Born into a patrician family. Some sources indicate that the artist was born not in 1527, but in 1530. Grandfather Arcimboldo was an archbishop, his father was an artist. He received art lessons in his father's studio.
At the age of 22, Giuseppe began his career in the workshops of the Milan Cathedral, creating colored stained glass windows and frescoes depicting scenes from the lives of saints. He helped his father, who painted the Milan Cathedral. It is believed that, having seen the manuscripts and drawings of Leonardo (and Arcimboldo had such an opportunity), the young artist forever retained in his memory ingenious sketches of amazing monsters, all kinds of hybrids of plants and animals that made up human faces. Probably, it was the acquaintance with the legacy of Leonardo that served as the impetus for the work of Arcimboldo. It is known that he made cardboard tapestries in Ferrara.
From 1562 he worked in the service of the Habsburgs in Austria and Bohemia, in Prague, first at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I in Vienna - as a portrait copyist, then, when Maximilian II became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1564), Arcimboldo - an artist at the court .
Barthel Beham The Emperor Ferdinand 1531
Arcimboldo Giuseppe Maximiliano II y su familia 1553
He was perceived by friends as a man with universal erudition and a highly developed creative genius. Most of his contemporaries, also famous people, looked at him with admiration because of his talents and his ingenuity, not only in painting, but also in organizing games, weddings, coronations, processions. In fact, he becomes the artistic director of Emperor Maximilian II.
He was responsible at the court for architecture and theatrical and artistic design of all events. At the same time, he is an engineer, a creator of fountains, and takes part in the founding of an art museum.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Design for a Costume The Cook (Project for a Costume The Cook) 1585
Costume designs for theatrical performances (located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence):
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Diseño de un vestido para Astrología 1571
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Diseño de un vestido para Geometría 1571
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Diseño de un vestido para Música 1571
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Diseño de un vestido para Rétorica 1571
Arcimboldo becomes the main organizer of tournaments, fairs and luxurious festivities for the aristocracy, scientists and artists. All this is to glorify the emperor, to strengthen his political power and entertain people, to present the monarch as a hero.
With the support of Maximilian, he performed the first version of the Four Seasons series, which was presented to the emperor on New Year's Day (1569).
Below is one of the series "Seasons".
Giuseppe Arcimboldo El invierno 1573
In 1570 Arcimboldo was sent to Prague to Rudolf, Maximilian's son, to design a complex theatrical performance for Maximilian (the plot is mixed classical and Czech mythology) and remained in the service of Rudolf II when he ascended the throne of the Habsburgs (1575) after the death of Maximilian II.
Serving him, Arcimboldo bore the title of "Master of Festivities". In Prague, he was a decorator and director of festive performances. In addition, he invented hydraulic machines.
The eleven years that the artist served Rudolf II were the peak of his career. The Emperor loved and appreciated Arcimboldo extremely. During these years, Arcimboldo wrote the second version of The Seasons (1573), dedicated to the emperor a red leather folio containing 150 pen and ink drawings (1585).
Arcimboldo Giuseppe The Seasons. Spring
Arcimboldo Giuseppe The Seasons. Summer
Arcimboldo Giuseppe The Seasons. Autumn
Arcimboldo Giuseppe The Seasons. Winter
In 1587, after numerous requests from Arcimboldo, Rudolph II allowed him to return to his native Milan. In the same year, Arcimboldo received a request from the emperor to continue writing for him, although he no longer served at court. In 1591, probably the most famous of his paintings, Flora (1591) and Vertumn (1590-1591), which he sent to Prague, were painted. In the same year, 1591, the artist received the title of count.
In 1593, Arcimboldo died, the cause of death, according to an entry in the registry book, was "urinary retention and kidney stones."
14 paintings by Arcimboldo have come down to us. He painted the most famous "fantastic heads" from the 1560s.
Arcimboldo was very popular during his lifetime, which explains the many imitations of his style. His compositions enjoyed such great success that they spawned a whole string of imitators called "Archimboldists". And immediately after the death of the master in 1593, Italy, France, Holland and other European countries were flooded with a stream of inept stylizations under Arcimboldo. In the 20th century, especially with the advent of surrealism, this artist came into vogue. Currently, Arcimboldo is considered a classic of Mannerism.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Cook 1570
Giuseppe Arcimboldo The Admiral 1572
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Whimsical portrait
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Vegetable Gardener 1590
Elena Korovina magazine "Caravan of stories"
Giuseppe raised his hand, palm resting on the damp stone vault. So, he is a prisoner! .. But who dared to imprison the dungeon of Giuseppe Arcimboldo himself - the favorite of the all-powerful emperor?! Arcimboldo coughed nervously. The dungeon echoed low. It's just some kind of horror ... Or maybe just a bad dream? .. Although no, he remembers very well how he woke up this morning in his cozy house on Golden Lane. After a quick bite, I hurried to the Old Town Square to buy fresh flowers, vegetables and fruits, which I used to draw.
Giuseppe walked through the quiet sleepy streets of Prague and thought: how beautiful this city is! In spring it smells of roses, in winter - with freshly baked cheesecakes, in August, as it is now - with ripe apples and a little cinnamon, which housewives add to pies and charlottes. Needless to say - living in Prague is great! No wonder twenty-four years ago Arcimboldo came here from his native Milan.
At first he served as a simple court portrait painter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, then as the main artist of his heir, Maximilian II. And the son of Maximilian, Rudolf II, granted the artist title of nobility. Yes, life is good!
Hans von Aachen Kaiser Rudolf II. 1606-08
Arcimboldo was about to start up some kind of cheerful tune, but stopped short - Golden Lane was still asleep. Its inhabitants woke up late, mostly they were "night people" - they were afraid not only of Zlata Prague, but of the whole of Europe; alchemists, magicians and astrologers. From all over the world they were drawn to Prague under the wing of Rudolf II, who adored everything mystical and mysterious, and dreamed of the philosopher's stone. That is why they called this crooked street in Prague Castle where magicians and alchemists tried to turn copper and lead into pure gold. In any other capital, all these devilish minions would have been burned at the stake long ago, but Emperor Rudolf not only sheltered them from the Inquisition, but also generously paid for their work.
True, as far as Arcimboldo heard, experiments with the invention of the philosopher's stone have not yet been successful, but astrologers who claim that days are divided into successful and unsuccessful may be worth believing. For example, today... First, flower girls scattered in the flower rows at his appearance, and even old Hannah, from whom he always took a few bouquets, crossed herself, covered her flower pots from the artist and whispered:
- Excuse me, sir!
Incredibly surprised, Giuseppe went to the greengrocers. He needs to buy white celery, a tight lettuce, a couple of small pumpkins, young carrots and elastic squash. He was going to make more sketches so that there would be enough work on living still lifes for the whole winter. Giuseppe didn't like painting vegetables from the cellar when they got flabby and unappetizing!
But even in the vegetable rows something strange was going on. Barely seeing Arcimboldo. the merchants hurriedly began to cover the goods with linens and, timidly crossing themselves, muttered:
We don't trade! We do not sell!
Your pictures are not pleasing to God! - suddenly whispered a man in a long mantle. - Roses on them become the flowers of evil, and vegetables - satanic symbols. But the worst thing is that the people depicted in your portraits are dying!
- What an absurdity! Giuseppe was outraged. “Take off your hood, my dear, so that I can see who is throwing such accusations at me!”
But the stranger in the mantle had already disappeared into the market crowd. So, maybe he is to blame for the fact that the venerable artist is locked in a dungeon? ..
Arcimboldo shook his head. It seems that the eyes are starting to get used to the darkness...
What a fool he made! At the exit from the market, an imperial page ran up to him and said:
- Messire Giuseppe, the ruler urgently asks you to come to him!
Arcimboldo hurried after the boy. How could he suspect malicious intent? True, what happened in the market still did not get out of his head, and he asked the page:
- What is going on in the market today?
- Don't you know? - the page was surprised. - Marushka, the daughter of the headman of the church of the Virgin Mary of the Snow, drowned herself yesterday.
Giuseppe gasped.
- Can not be! She was going to marry the son of the palace equerry. At his request, I even painted a portrait of this lovely girl.
“The groom’s father, having become the senior stableman, found a more profitable bride for his son,” the page chattered. - So Marushka rushed to the Vltava.
Arcimboldo considered. Of course, the story is sad, but what does his portrait have to do with it ?! The groom's son courted Arcimboldo for about two months, all begging: “Draw Marushka! If dad sees the portrait, sir, he will love my bride like his own daughter! The artist agreed - and here is the result: the citizens of Prague are sure that his portrait is to blame for the death of the girl!
Arcimboldo Giuseppe The Lady of Good Taste.
However, there is no time to think about poor Marinka, we must hurry to the emperor. The impatient Rudolph does not like to wait, especially when waves of black melancholy roll over him. I remember that a couple of months ago Arcimboldo hesitated and found Rudolph in a terrible state: crazy eyes, foam on his lips. For several days he did not leave the emperor, exhausted by a seizure - he soldered him with healing tinctures. Rudolph, who dreamed of poisoners everywhere, trusted only his court painter. In addition, Arcimboldo was not only an artist for him. From a young age, he taught Rudolph to understand art and painting, read maps of the starry sky, draw up horoscopes and calculate solar and lunar eclipses. Thanks to the senior mentor, the young man, sickly from birth, knew what infusions helped against colds, despondency and apathy. However, with age, Rudolf fell into despondency more and more often, especially after the death of his father, when the burden of power fell on his shoulders. It was then that alchemists, astrologers, magicians and sorcerers appeared at his court - in a word, those whose efforts could cure the grave illness of the ruler or at least entertain him.
Here, sir! called the page, throwing open the heavy copper-plated door. And here he is, the gullible fool, in the dungeon...
Arcimboldo pulled his cloak closer. Eyes accustomed to darkness saw a faint light in the distance. Cautiously stepping, the artist wandered forward. The corridor turned sharply, and the dumbfounded prisoner saw torches screwed to the wall. Their light seemed to lure the depths of the dungeon - further and further. Giuseppe, in fear, remembered the rumors that had flooded the city: supposedly in the secret dungeons of the Old City, the miraculous scientist Lev ben Bezalel created scary monster A golem that preys on humans. Previously, having heard such a thing, Arcimboldo would only laugh - what these ignoramuses will not invent! He himself met with ben Bezalel more than once. The sage really dreamed of creating an artificial man, but things did not go beyond incomprehensible experiments and heated discussions in the Rudolphin Scientific Circle. However, recently ben Bezalel had a long private conversation with the emperor. Maybe he really reported success? ..
Arcimboldo froze - a strange sound pierced the dungeon, not a howl, not a gnash. Is it really a terrible Golem? .. But he overcame a momentary weakness, pulled out a torch from an iron ring and fearlessly moved forward. Let whoever wants to squeal - Golem or the devil himself, do not intimidate him!
The underground passage again turned sharply and led to a stone staircase. The steps rested against an ajar wrought-iron door. Giuseppe nudged her with his shoulder and froze in the doorway.
He saw not at all the gloomy workshop of an alchemist, but a small bright room with four windows. In the center is a table, a couple of chairs and... an easel with stretched canvas. There are brushes and paints on the table. By the wall, Giuseppe noticed a shop on which, in vases and tubs, there were various flowers - the same as those that he paints in his paintings. What the hell?! It turns out that someone kidnapped him to force him to draw? But what?!
Arcimboldo turned back to the easel. How did he not notice? A note is pinned to the canvas: “Until you paint the beautiful Yoshka in the form of a nymph, you won’t get out of here!”
Gee! Who needed to order a portrait of the daughter of a palace gardener in such a strange way?! After all, if the emperor finds out about the abduction, anyone, even the most high-ranking admirer - the beautiful Yoshka, will be unhappy! ..
Giuseppe sank into a chair. And why did he always have so many enemies? Even in Milan, as soon as he began to help his father, accusations of nepotism rained down: supposedly the painter of the Milan Cathedral, Biagio Arcimboldo, demands too high a salary for his apprentice son. But after all, young Giuseppe worked on a par with adult painters and at the age of twenty he created cardboard for stained glass windows from the life of St. Catherine, which all Milan admired.
Arcimboldo Giuseppe Catedral de Milan. El nacimiento de Santa Catalina 1551
Arcimboldo Giuseppe Catedral de Milan. Sta. Catalina habla con el Emperador acerca de la fe verdade 1551
But the stained-glass windows themselves were commissioned to be made by a foreigner - the master Corralo de Mokis from Cologne. Even the intercession of the Bishop of Milan, by the way, who was Arcimboldo's uncle, did not help. But Emperor Ferdinand I, to whom the Bishop of Milan sent five paintings of his nephew as a gift, was delighted and invited Arcimboldo to court.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo La muerte de la Virgen 1561-62
However, there were enough envious people at the court, because the unknown young artist quickly became the emperor's favorite. Arcimboldo was industrious, cheerful, courteous. One day the monarch wished to send a painting as a gift to his relative, Crown Prince Philip of Spain.
- Like all Habsburgs, he passionately loves painting, - Ferdinand instructed his favorite, - his collection contains paintings by the best European artists. But you, my painter, must surpass them!"
Arcimboldo was dumbfounded: how can he surpass the great masters of the past? Was it some kind of fiction ... He remembered the wild paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, filled with terrible animals, then reviving plants. Metamorphoses - that's an unknown genre. Don't people look like various animals and birds, and doesn't it sometimes seem: this gentleman is the spitting image of a donkey, a ferret or a hare? However, it is unlikely that the heir to the throne will like a donkey or a ferret. No, here you need to come up with something elegant, subtle. Shouldn't you try to draw an allegorical portrait, for example, of Spring, made up of flowers?
The next morning Arcimboldo brought an armful of flowers from the market and began to sketch. Roses will bloom on the cheeks with a blush, a lily bud will beautifully depict a nose, an ear will emerge from a round tulip, and belladonna berries will sparkle instead of eyes. From white phlox you get satin skin of the face, and from daisies - a collar frill. Well, a lush dress sleeve will come out of a juicy head of young lettuce. Why are vegetables worse than flowers?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Flora 1591
Of course, the work was slow at first. I had to carefully select flowers and greens that were suitable in color and shape. But then things fell apart. Both Ferdinand himself and Philip, who was sent a "metamorphic portrait", were delighted. Arcimboldo immediately received a new order - the cycle "The Seasons". Allegories - Summer ”and Autumn, composed of flowers and fruits, turned out beautifully, but“ Winter ”, the basis for which was a dry rhizome, the artist was especially proud of.
(Since Arcimboldo made several copies of this series, I present the one in the Louvre).
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Spring 1573 Louvre
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Summer 1573 Louvre
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Autumn 1573 Louvre
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Winter 1573 Louvre
Pictures-metamorphoses of Giuseppe Arcimboldo stunned Europe. No one has ever painted anything like it! Soon the artist learned, through various objects, to represent completely real people. So, he made a portrait of his friend, the librarian Giuseppe, from books, and the face of a cunning enemy, the chicane-lawyer Tsazius, from shriveled fried chickens and fish. Oh, how the slanderous lawyer soared then, but the whole lawyer shop was simply dying with laughter!
Arcimboldo Giuseppe Jurist 1566
The most difficult were given female portraits, because every lady saw herself as Flora, then Venus, then Daphne. Just make sure you buy flowers! And no one has ever said the bullshit that was being talked about in the market today. How can flowers become a weapon of evil, and how can a portrait be killed?! Yes, if his customers died after the sessions, all the courtiers would already be in the cemetery! However, the slanderer Tsazius really died shortly after Giuseppe portrayed him. But no one has any regrets! It seems that Frau Goetzig also died, but everyone knew that she had a weak heart... What does his painting have to do with it?!
Drchimboldo stroked the easel; we should rather take up the portrait of the “beautiful Yoshka”, and not indulge in memories! But the memories did not let him go.
It happened in 1574 - twelve years ago. Forty-seven-year-old Giuseppe was then still in his prime and not indifferent to the female sex. Young Carolina, the daughter of a petty judicial official, turned his head. The girl was really good; cheeks - like roses, lips - scarlet carnations, eyes the color of cornflowers, and hair - golden linen strands. When Arcimboldo painted her portrait, Caroline's father was delighted - his daughter was painted by the imperial court painter! And the girl only whispered in disappointment:
- Do I really have tow instead of hair, and my chest looks like heads of red lettuce?
Giuseppe then laughed it off, and the insult was quickly forgotten. He paid the judge 200 florins of compensation and took Caroline as a housekeeper. Gave dresses, caps, jewelry. When in the evening, dreaming of hot lovemaking, he went to her bedroom, a strange thing happened ... He touched the girl's warm chest, but felt the firm firmness of a head of lettuce, ran his hand over her silky thigh - and it seemed that it was an armful of flowers. Giuseppe felt dizzy and a lump formed in his throat. Some kind of horror, mysticism, witchcraft! Surely, in pursuit of his metamorphoses, he perceives his beloved as a garden bed or flower bed!
Series "Four Elements"
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Water ( The Water) 1563-64
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Fire (The Fire) 1566
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Earth (La Tierra) 1570
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Air (The Air)
That night he left Carolina with nothing. For a long time, Giuseppe remembered the devilish sensation: a living girl turns into a soulless bunch of flowers...
However, now there is nothing to remember about it. Carolina did not pose for him anymore, but she gave birth to a lovely son. Arcimboldo did not want Benedetto to be considered a bastard, and asked the emperor for permission to officially recognize the child. Rudolph, a great female lover, did not mind - he himself had six children with the pharmacist's daughter Maria dela Strada.
Giuseppe brushed off unnecessary thoughts and began to mix paints. With a portrait of Yoshka, he will manage quickly: roses - on the cheeks, plums - on the eyes dark with passion, currants - on a mole at the temple. The brush habitually glided over the canvas, circling and writing out the roundness of the petals. Arcimboldo worked without noticing the time. When it began to get dark in the room, he sank into a chair to rest and fell asleep. He woke up from a creak: it turned out that while he was sleeping, they brought food - bread and water.
However, the artist pushed back the prison treat and took up his brushes again. When he signed with the last wave, everything was already swimming before his eyes. He drank water and fell into darkness.
I woke up at home, on Golden Street. Caroline's frightened face leaned over him with a candle in her hand:
- Why are you screaming so, Giuseppe?
Arcimboldo looked around - he was in his own bed...
“You slept for two days,” whispered Caroline, carefully removing the carbon from the candle. - The guards brought you - they say you fainted in the market square.
Giuseppe did not know what to think; it turns out that he dreamed of a terrible dungeon. And the portrait of the "nymph Yoshka", which he painted on someone's secret order, was also in a dream. At that moment, the door swung open and eleven-year-old Benedetto rushed to his father:
- How good, dad, that you're back! Where have you been so long?
Arcimboldo hugged his son and turned his reproachful gaze on Caroline:
- So I slept for two days?
Carolina was confused.
- That's what the guards said to say, they brought you two hours ago. And you, too, consider that you were sleeping. This is the highest order...
Giuseppe leaned back against the pillows. The highest command ... What a donkey he is! After all, he himself recently saw how the emperor came out of dark alley garden. And about five minutes later, the rosy-cheeked Yoshka jumped out of there. Only such a naive fool as he could not understand what happened in this secluded alley!
But why did you have to hide it in a sinister dungeon to get a portrait?! And why is it secret? Obviously, if Maria de la Strada visits the new mistress, trouble cannot be avoided. No wonder the courtiers whisper that the favorite is holding the crown-bearer in an iron fist. Who knows what will happen next... In relation to Arcimboldo, the emperor never distinguished himself by cruelty, but everything has its beginning... The court physician warned that Rudolph's hereditary mental illness was progressing...
“Caroline,” the artist said quietly, “start packing tomorrow. I want to go to Milan. Show you and your son the house where you were born.
- Are we going back to Prague? Caroline was alarmed.
Tell everyone we'll be back. But know that you don't.
The emperor turned Arcimboldo's petition in his hands for a long time, and then spoke;
“But you’re still going to paint pictures for me, aren’t you?”
- Yes, Your Majesty! - the artist bent low. - In a few months you will receive a new version of The Seasons. Then the goddess Flora. I also thought of portraying you as the Etruscan deity of gardens and harvests, Vertumnus.
Deity is good! - Rudolph was delighted. “You will receive my carriage for the journey, and fifteen hundred Rhine florins for your service.
Arcimboldo leaned even lower. One and a half thousand - a huge amount, in Milan you can live in a big way. Does the emperor feel guilty about the joke in the dungeon?
Rodnoy.gorod, however, met the artist unkindly. He thought that the Milanese, as soon as they saw his paintings, would fill up with orders, but it turned out differently ... A couple of weeks later, a priest came to his house. Abbot Ignazio Pozzi spent a long time examining the unfinished portraits of the Prague courtiers and the begun "Vertumn".
"The Emperor can afford freethinking, but we can't," he snapped. - What is it? - The abbot pointed his finger at the diptych "Adam and Eve". - This is pure heresy! And all your flowers, fruits and vegetables are a distortion of the human form. But it is given to us in the image and likeness of God!
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Eva con la manzana 1578
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Adam 1578
Turning around abruptly, the angry abbot stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly.
In 1591, Arcimboldo sent a portrait of Rudolph "in the image of Vertumn" to Prague.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo Portrait of Emperor Rudolph II as Vertumn. 1590
An enthusiastic message came from the emperor, a letter for the title of Count Palatine and 500 florins, so that the artist was not in danger of poverty, although the customers still did not appear on his doorstep.
And so Giuseppe conceived the unprecedented - to create a "metamorphic" portrait of Christ. After all, if we admit that everything living and existing on earth is His creation, then He consists of everything: good and evil people, handsome men and freaks, flowers and fruits, houses and trees, heaven and the abyss.
- This is blasphemy! Abbe Ignazio shouted in confession without restraint. - I forbid! You will be excommunicated!
From confession Arcimboldo came depressed. At night, he began to feel chills, then wild pains began to torment him.
Falling into unconsciousness, Giuseppe called the old masters - Leonardo, Raphael and Botticelli - and tried to justify himself to THEM:
- I did not want to dismember a person into its component parts! I was just looking for new ways in painting!
July 11, 1593 Giuseppe Arcimboldo died.
The son tried to sell the remaining paintings of his father, but he got only eleven florins for them. Four hundred years later, Arcimboldo's work was valued at millions of dollars, and Salvador Dali called the strange artist the forerunner of surrealism.
For the first time presents about twenty of the hundred surviving paintings by one of the main artists High Renaissance. Museums and institutions that own works by Giuseppe Arcimboldo lend them with great reluctance. Therefore, to see a fifth of his surviving heritage is a chance that falls only once in a lifetime.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
"Self-portrait" 1575
23.1 × 15.7 cm
National Gallery, Prague
Giuseppe Arcimboldi, known as Arcimboldo (1526 or 1527 - 1593), received the first art education in the workshop of his father Biagio in Milan. Already at the age of 21, he began to create stained-glass windows and frescoes for the city's cathedral. In 1562, the renowned artist was invited to the court by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. Arcimboldo then served his son Maximilian II and grandson Rudolf II in Vienna and Prague. He was not only a court painter, but also a decorator, costume designer and organizer of festivities.
Allegory of the seasons, follower of Arcimboldo
Allegory of the seasons, follower of Arcimboldo
Painting of the School of Giuseppe Arcimboldi (Arcimboldo) (1527-1593) 16th century
Naples, museo di Capodimonte
Four Seasons in One Head
circa 1590
oil on panel
44.7cm x 60.4cm
National Gallery of Art
Fruit basket. Inverted, the picture is a portrait. Oil on wood panel, around 1590
Reversible Head with Basket of Fruit
circa 1590
oil on panel
56 x 42 cm
Frencht & Company, New York.
Reversible Head with Basket of Fruit 16th century
Fruit Basket 16th century
Still Life with Onions and Vegetables (Gardener) 1590
36×24 cm
Oil, Panel
The Vegetable Gardner 1590
Portrait with Vegetables (The Greengrocer) 1590
The Cook
circa 1570
oil on panel
53 x 41 cm
Nationalmuseum (Stockholm)
Still life with a pig (Cook) 1570
53×41 cm
Oil, Panel
The Cook
circa 1570
oil on panel
53 cm x 41 cm
Nationalmuseum (Stockholm)
whimsical portrait
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 - 1593)
Anthropomorphic still life, a follower of Arcimboldo
Instruments of Human Sustenance (Humani Victus Instrumenta): Agriculture
after 1569
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Instruments of Human Sustenance (Humani Victus Instrumenta): Cooking
after 1569
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Arcimboldo, Giuseppe italian artist painter and decorator of the 16th century. His work is usually attributed to the direction of mannerism, but numerous modern researchers see in the works of the master features characteristic of more modern style in art - surrealism. This gives grounds to assert that this artist was far ahead of his time and deserves to be known not only by specialists, but also by wide circles of society.
The artist was born in, in 1526. His father was an artist, so it is not surprising that the boy studied painting and participated in the work from childhood. Together with his father, he painted churches and showed excellent ability in creating sketches for the then fashionable decorative elements of palaces and religious buildings - stained glass windows and tapestries.
Over time, the father's assistant became an independent well-known master, who had regular customers and wonderful works. Thanks to his talents, he was invited to the court of Maximilian II, the former emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a high honor for the master. Subsequently, he moved from there to where he served as a court painter under the emperor's successor, Rudolf II, known as the mad alchemist king and the German Hermes Trismegistus. At his court were such famous people as astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, alchemists and astrologers John Dee and Edward Kelly and other famous personalities.
It was at the court of Rudolf that the artist painted a picture that made it possible to speak of him as a master with a unique, surrealistic vision. Not surprisingly, the emperor himself was delighted with Arcimboldo's experiments and unique vision, marking his achievements with the nobility and later with the title of count palatine.
This painting is called "Portrait of Rudolf II in the image of Vertumn", it was written around 1590 and depicts the emperor in the form of the ancient Italian god of the seasons and fruits - the gifts of the land Vertumn. Since he was the deity of abundance and the natural transformation of one object (seed) into another (fruit), this image greatly impressed Rudolph, who had been fond of alchemy all his life. His image is as if made up of a mosaic, the individual components of which are vegetables, fruits, berries and flowers. If this picture was created today, it would certainly be attributed to the works of the surrealist direction.
At the courts of the Habsburgs, the artist spent almost a quarter of a century. In 1587 he returned to his native Milan, but continued to work in his favorite manner. Finished canvases were sent to the emperor in Prague.
Little reliable documentary information has been preserved about the life of the artist, especially about the last period. The master died at the age of 66, presumably from urolithiasis, since such information was preserved in the documents. But at that time, the plague was raging, so another disease could be the cause of death.
As often happens, the legacy of the master was forgotten for centuries, and only during the heyday of surrealism did interest in them flare up with renewed vigor.
The sixteenth-century artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo followed in the footsteps of his father, Biagio, who made stained glass and frescoes. But he became famous in another area - thanks to his unusual allegorical paintings. Arcimboldo painted portraits of people from flowers, fruits, and other inanimate objects.
1. Arcimboldo considered himself a court painter
Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand appointed Arcimboldo as his court painter in 1562. Later, Arcimboldo was also court painter to his son and Ferdinand's successor, Maximilian II. It was in honor of Maximilian II that he first began to experiment with painting, creating the famous "Seasons" - a series of portraits in profile, in which people's faces were depicted using flowers, pumpkins, roots and grains. He also dabbled in interior design and clothing.
2 He Painted Scandalous Portraits Of Monarchs
Arcimboldo is not only known for The Four Seasons. One of his most famous works is a portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who commissioned different artists several of his portraits. The German Hans von Aachen painted a portrait of the emperor in luxurious clothes. Dutch sculptor Adrian de Vries made a regal bust of the monarch. Arcimboldo also painted "Portrait of Rudolf II in the image of Vertumnus" - the Roman god of plants. In this painting, the emperor is depicted from fruits and vegetables, which represent the vegetation and gifts of nature in all seasons.
3. Not all portraits painted by Arcimboldo consist only of fruits and vegetables.
The "librarian" in the picture consists of books. "Waiter" - from barrels and bottles. "Lawyer" - from books, carcasses of chicken and fish.
4. Arcimboldo was "a master of whimsy and anecdotes"
There is a play on words here. The artist's mosaic masterpieces were actually created for entertainment and humorous purposes.
5. The ambiguity of the paintings
Art historians suspect that the picture "Jurist" depicts Maximilian's two-faced Vice-Chancellor, Ulrich Zasius. Lawyer's face is made of dirty flowers, bird and fish
6. Arcimboldo took nature seriously
Arcimboldo's work may be playful, but he and his contemporaries were fascinated by the beauty and grotesque that can be found in the world around them. Due to the fact that he described the flora and fauna down to the smallest detail, his work has been admired for centuries.
7. One of his subsequent series was created in honor of the elements of nature
The Four Elements were surreal portraits composed of elegant animals and luxurious jewelry. The air was represented by a flock of birds, including an owl, a rooster, a parrot, and a peacock. The water was represented by a pearl necklace and coral crown surrounded by fish, sharks, squids, sea turtles and crustaceans. The land is represented by mammals such as elephants, deer, predatory cats, wild boars, hares and lambs. Fire is represented by flickering flames, sparks, candles, lamps, and glittering gold and weapons.
8. The Habsburgs loved his whimsical style
Although royal portraits of the time mostly idealized monarchs, the Habsburgs simply adored Arcimboldo's inventive style. This dynasty was known for its patronage of intellectuals and its encouragement of avant-garde art. Arcimboldo worked for the royal family for over 25 years.
9. His paintings are rife with allusions and visual puns.
The "summer" ear is made from an ear-shaped corncob. "Winter" wears a cloak with the M monogram (a reference to Emperor Maximilian, who wore a similar cloak). "Fire" is depicted with curled flames, which are the symbol of the Habsburg family, and "Earth" wears a cloak of lion skin, like Hercules, whom the royal dynasty considered their ancestor.
10 His Work Inspired Court Carnivals
In 1571, Maximilian asked Arcimboldo to organize a festival where members royal family and their friends could dress up in the form of natural elements and seasons.
11. The most insane work of the artist - "turning" head
This painting looks like a still life at first glance. To see the face, you need to turn it on its side.
12. Created "Head from a basket of fruits" by the artist by trial and error
Art historians believe that Arcimboldo redrawn his still life several times to achieve the correct angle.
13. Despite being recognized by the royal dynasty, the fame of the artist was soon forgotten.
For decades, Arcimboldo was well known and loved by the society's elite. However, after his death in 1593, his incredible paintings were forgotten for centuries.
14. The surrealists returned the former glory to the artist
Artists such as Salvador Dali have used Arcimboldo's innovative compositions as their main source of inspiration. Posthumously, Arcimboldo was recorded as the founder of Mannerism.
15. Today, Arcimboldo's talent is appreciated all over the world.
The artist's works have received wide recognition and are exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world.