100 Great Artists

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GIUSEPPE ARCIMBOLDO

B()rn Giw'PP'

Ardmbddoin

Milan, ..... <la

painw'

m"king tlJ fatb.ri

amnant at Milll1l

Catb.dral

I"NIigm lapmry for

Como Ca,kd",

Mo,..,- 10 Prag'u,

/!<rom" (~, painur

'" F=linmuJ I

R""aim COIlTl

paint" ,-"bm

Maximih'an il

J'U,,,,dt hrdinll1ld I

Trltt .. ""o Ilaly

Pr."nrr ;\Iaximilill1l

il ,;:i,b S""s<lnS and

Four Elcm.:nlS

Orgll1li= 11.." rayal

;;:rotiing'

R.maim COIlTl

painlff ,;:bm Rudolf

Ii J'Uccudt

Maximih'an Ii

Ennohl.d by

EmfJ'Yor Rudolf Ii

L",,~, Prag'" for

Milan

SmdJ \'crtllmnu< to

Prag'u, .k,,,,d '

Coum Pala,iIU

Di" of kitlnry

di"a" in ;\Iilan

Vcnumnus (tk'ail) (159/)

A magnifi,ml piKtrait of Rudolf il ii' tb. ll1Iam, Roman god of"'Kwllion Il1Id

Ik changing " ... ""., \'enumnus 1::a, abo ,b. 'Y"'bd of C(Jmmffu, 711.

""fJ'Yar 1::a, tkligb"d ,;:itb 'k itka afbimulf at lb. ,,"bodimml of

fruitfo/lUE, barmony and a nrong <C""""'y, IlfId pr"mp,ly Itt;:artkd

Artimbddo tb. ,i,l. <I Count PalalilU

G

iu"'I" e Arcimboldo was an artist of

grut ingcnuity. I're_,t.,ing the

Surre.lists 1»-' Mer 300 ye.",. hi.

c''''pos.i,io))s of p.in",d Aowers. ,'egetables.

and o,her morc Ilium: ohjects took 'he

six"'<:nth-c<:ntury l lapsburg C oun by "nnn.

11 ",:e sutces.i"" empef()f"S, Ferdinand L

,\ I:tximilian II and Rudolf II, b<:C:tmc ,but""

of h .. exnaolllinary I_mrait ",ric •.

In 1562 , Arcimboldo a,.;,.-",,,I an il1~><"lial

imitation H.I lef, ,\lilan for P"'goc. Then: he

assumed 'he I"'" of Court I",inter and

d<",)<al<).-, e,"nts ',.-pniz.cr, CostwnC ,k:signer

and all-",un,] • n "h'i«:r.

The UfF'iri in Flon:,..,c has. red le.,her f,~d""

de'~""ted I<) Rudolf II. Inside are 148 of

Arcimboldo'. pen and "'"iSh ,k<~ches dettiling

UlStwnes .nd '1''''1''' ~)f ,"rious <~'<:nts ",.,,

0., da<si""I.lk·g<>ry. 1 nc", e_"" g-'nzas wen:

designed I<) ,~sl~'Y the 1I'I"burgs' dJ'nastic

110wer to hundn:ds of high_ .. nking gueSts.

' ille Umri l)(m~)lio is. "LTY ",re i,em, as

littlc of Arcimb"ldo's s.igned wo .. k ,ulVi,'cs,

m)< ,~d he I"",,: .ny writings, .khough he ..

known to hal'e heen highly "Iucated. Ilis

... bu. sp'nn,,1 the ans, scien"'" <:ngine"'ing

.nd philosophy, he ,,'"is • trut ' Renais"'n'"

man'. Y'" f,)< nO olll;ous n::I5<))), his work sank

Along wi,h ro)"tl w"ldings, festi,;,ie,., into obscuri,y until re,~scO\ered in the

C ourt <'o."isted of l'.gt:.nt< and I<-.Jm'ments. ninct"'nth """tmy.

W2ter from ' Inc Four Eleml:nlS' (/566)

Ar a y<lUng man, Arcimbddo painud nailUd g/= for Milll1l ,atb.drut hilt j, "'ar

,bnlugb tapm'7 d.rign tba, bi< richly arrllll"m!lli nyi. """yd. to mat"'"' in tk

painml "rj"o/'S""S<l<IS' and 'ElementS'. ArdmboJdo 1::ar '" ropy \\'''<"1 many

r",m,f()r gifr to imp",rtb." mipimrr ,,·itb tb. g/oryofrb. HapJimrgr