Giuseppe Arcimboldo (c. 1526/27-1593) was an Italian Mannerist painter who is best known for his imaginative portraits that form human heads out of still-life objects, such as his 1591 painting Vertumnus. It depicts the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II through an eclectic composition of fruits, flowers and vegetables, such as a pear nose, peach cheeks, and pea-pod eyebrows. Though humorous in air, the painting was also meant to convey the power of its sitter, with specific choices holding symbolic political meaning. For example, the choice to use corn to represent Rudolf II’s ears is an allude to his power and wealth, as the crop originated in the New World. As the painting was created during the emergence of disciplines like botany and zoology, learned viewers would likely pick up these subtle messages, while appreciating the fun visual puzzle the painting creates.

Learn more about the work that inspired this pin HERE.