Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Fundamental Paintings to Understand the History of Painting
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Autumn (1573). Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Oil on canvas. 76 cm x 64 cm
Musée du Louvre. Paris, France
When we speak of mannerism, we use the words “exaggerated grace” and “extravagance.” We speak of the “skillful sophistication” of the classical forms that reached perfection with Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
But if there was someone truly extravagant at that time, to the point of being unclassifiable, it was Arcimboldo.
Arcimboldo painted portraits with humor (his most famous works are his allegories of the seasons or the elements of nature), He composed the faces with flowers, fruits, plants, animals, and objects.
However, he painted something even more original: his double meaning paintings. These works represent one thing, but when turned around, they represent something else. The Cook, for example, displays a terrifying face when turned around.
In his time, Arcimboldo’s work was taken as a funny curiosity but not very appreciated. So much so that the artist soon fell into oblivion.
In the 20th century, he was rediscovered and venerated by great avant-garde artists. First of all, by the surrealists, obviously, because his paintings resemble hallucinations. But fundamentally, he was appreciated for his optical illusions, which provoke a marvelous phenomenon: shared imagination, a game in which the observer and the creator participate.
We can guess who the modern artist who was most influenced by Arcimboldo’s work was: Salvador Dalí, who created part of his work using this type of optical illusion (the double meaning) as a resource.
Recommended links:
Characteristic elements of Mannerist painting, each with an example.
El Greco and the Color of Mannerism.
Lavinia Fontana and the “Maniera.”
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