Watch this short slide show with examples of his paintings:

• Famous Giuseppe Arcimboldo Paintings

And this short video with a description of his works:

• Paradoxes of Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Select one of Arcimboldo’s paintings.  List as many items possible (types of fruit, etc.) that he used to create the portrait.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo quickly gained a reputation for a style of art that was comical, intellectual, and unique. He first premiered this style in 1569, when he unveiled two sets of portraits on New Year’s Day. One set, The Four Seasons, included figures representing spring, summer, fall, and winter. The other, The Four Elements, did the same in personifying earth, water, fire, and air. Arcimboldo’s portraits used combinations of natural items to look like human heads. 

Read these two short articles about two of Arcimboldo’s famous works:

• Rudolf II of Habsburg as Vertumnus – Giuseppe Arcimboldo
• Summer – Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Read this article with more detail about his life and the works he created: An Eye for Art – Questioning Traditions – Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Painter Arcimboldo and His Unique Style of Portraiture

Describe three techniques that Arcimboldo used in his portraits that were unique.  What were the different moods he was trying to create with his paintings?  What is the significance of the items he chose to create his portraits, as they related to the topic of his paintings?

What was the impact that Arcimboldo had on art, both while he was alive and centuries after he died?

For more details about Arcimboldo’s life and work, enjoy this video: Arcimboldo: Nature and Fantasy