Giuseppe Arcimboldo

November 2, 2002 12:04 PM

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593), best known for thematic portraits made of composites of fruit, fish, etc (higher-res gallery here), but also an engineer, inventor, artistic director for imperial courts, and even (as creator of a "harpsichord of colour") a possible anticipator of multimedia. Commemorations include the AGROart Festival; HP France's Prix Arcimboldo for digital imaging; and his influence on the works of artist and animator Jan Svankmajer.
posted by raygirvan (9 comments total)

I adore Svankmajer and I'm sure I've seen Arcimboldo's work but I do not know where; Its eerily familiar.

Thanks raygirvan. I also love your website.
posted by Winterfell at 1:52 PM on November 2, 2002

nice! very surreal. thanks!
posted by mikhail at 2:44 PM on November 2, 2002

Hi Winterfell, I mean raygirven, I mean, what do I know.
posted by four panels at 3:36 PM on November 2, 2002

Winterfell: thanks. Another example (I couldn't find an image online) is the video to Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, a singing Arcimboldo-style face made of fruit. See also the early 1900s erotic fantasy postcards, satirical portraits of famous people, such as Wagner, made from a composite of female figures ( gallery here).
posted by raygirvan at 4:27 PM on November 2, 2002

I was thinking of something deeper in the psyche. Perhaps among the depictions of the Gods of Agriculture or Bacchanals or the Horn of Plenty or even modern Halloween pumpkins (Are not Halloween/Thanksgiving feasts of the harvest?) Its like I've dreamed this.
posted by Winterfell at 5:46 PM on November 2, 2002

The Green Man maybe? He's sometimes depicted as a face made entirely from leaves: examples here and here and here.
posted by raygirvan at 6:23 PM on November 2, 2002

Excellent post raygirvan, wonderful stuff. Plus I second winterfell's sentiment about your website - it's a treasure.

More on the Green Man.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:09 PM on November 2, 2002

Nice post raygirvan, nice thread....all.

Arcimbaldo had fled my brain, now he's back.
posted by troutfishing at 9:18 PM on November 2, 2002

These are very nice links: thank you. I gather that a number of Arcimboldo's paintings were spirited away to Sweden, as the spoils of an incident in the 30-years'-war... I'm hoping to see some of them while I'm here.
posted by misteraitch at 1:36 AM on November 4, 2002