Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Anthropomorphic Allegory of Winter, 18th Century, Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

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Giuseppe arcimboldo (milan 1527 – milan 1593)
follower of the 17th/18th century

anthropomorphic allegory of winter

oil on canvas
96 … Read more Giuseppe arcimboldo (milan 1527 – milan 1593)
follower of the 17th/18th century

anthropomorphic allegory of winter

oil on canvas
96 x 75 cm - in an important antique frame (defects) 118 x 101 cm.

the curious painting we are pleased to show you, depicting a personification of winter, is a derivation of the famous surrealist iconographic prototypes created around 1560/70 by the eclectic milanese painter giuseppe arcimboldi (milan 1526–1593) and is based on a series of still lifes depicting the seasons.

after leaving milan for the court of vienna, giuseppe arcimboldi became the official painter of emperor maximilian ii of habsburg, for whom he created a series of paintings that were nothing short of brilliant, executed with an innovative technique that would be imitated and revisited for decades.

in particular, he created a specific artistic style that played on optical illusion and anthropomorphic composition, creating authentic portraits in which he skillfully combined plant elements, fruits, and vegetables typical of each season.

a careful look at these works reveals a sense of awe at arcimboldi's extraordinary inventiveness: in this case, the winter figure is recreated entirely by combining typical elements of the cold season, such as oranges, citrons, garlic, cardoons, cabbage, onions, endives, leeks, and turnips.

according to iconological interpretation, these works were to be interpreted as celebratory "imperial allegories," whose symbolic purpose was to represent the dominion of the house of habsburg not only over rival families but over all creation, including the many resources of mother nature.

at the same time, this rich and erudite symbolism of anthropomorphic heads, in addition to glorifying habsburg power, met the mannerist court's taste for the rare, the curious, and everything that could arouse wonder in the art collectors of the time.

the anthropomorphic representations of the seasons conceived by arcimboldi enjoyed immediate success, attested by the existence of subsequent autograph versions, replicas made by collaborators, and numerous antique copies, more or less faithful to the originals, which were produced and circulated in europe by the end of the sixteenth century.

one artist who was strongly influenced by giuseppe arcimboldi was francesco zucchi (florence, 1562 – rome, 1622), an italian painter known for having spread and perpetuated in rome the style of "composite heads" developed by giuseppe arcimboldo, who instead worked primarily in vienna and prague, and as far as milan. Many paintings historically classified as generic works by "followers of arcimboldo" have now been reattributed to francesco zucchi (image 4).

we can find our prototype with the personification of winter in some works published in the zeri photo library:

image 1 - g. Arcimboldi (follower), portrait of a woman and composed figure with fruit and vegetables, dorotheum auction, vienna, june 10, 1997, no. 124/b
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/86956/

image 2 - g. Arcimboldi (in the manner of), composed figure with fruit and vegetables, private collection
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/86961/

image 3 - g. Arcimboldi, allegory of winter, c. 1580-1600, yale university art gallery, new haven
https://www.meisterdrucke.it/stampe-d-arte/giuseppe-arcimboldo/623640/inverno,-c.1580-1600.html

image 4 - g. Arcimboldi, composed figure with fruit and vegetables (alternative attribution: francesco zucchi) antiques market, florence
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/86984/

additional information:

the painting is in good condition, with some restorations and paint retouching on the surface.

the painting is presented in a beautiful gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less