C&T Publications Eye on Fine Art Photography - July 2015 | Page 38

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Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Minding His Mannerism
One of the most fascinatingly strange art painting styles is what is known as “Arcimboldo,”
named after the 16th century artist, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, also known as Arcimboldi.
Giuseppe was born in Milan, Italy in about the year 1527. His father Biagio was a designer
of frescoes and stained glass, and at the age of 21 Giuseppe followed in his father's footsteps
of creating works of art for local cathedrals.
His growing popularity eventually led first to a position as court portraitist for Hapsburg
ruler Ferdinand I in Vienna, and later to Maximilian II and his son Rudolph II in the court at Prague, where he also served as the
official court decorator and costume designer.
At some point Giuseppe veered away from his more conventional work and began to paint fantastical portraits made up of fruits,
vegetables, plants, flowers, sea creatures, and even books. From a distance they appear to be normal portraits, and it was only upon
closer examination that the true details were revealed. Each subject painted, and the objects used, were related in some way, even if
the deeper meaning was sometimes known only to himself.
It has been debated whether or not Giuseppe was a creative genius or an insane mad-man, but in actuality this form of creative
license was not out of the norm for that era, and led to an art form known as Mannerism. A bold mixture between elements from both
the High Renaissance and the Baroque period, Mannerists tended to show the connections between nature and humankind.
Today, his paintings can be seen in museums in both Europe and the United States.

Illustration 1: Spring Allegory by Giuseppe
Arcimboldo

Illustration 2: The Librarian by Giuseppe
Arcimboldo