Vertumnus by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Vertumnus canvas print displayed on a wall
Detail of Vertumnus by Giuseppe Arcimboldo showing the brushwork and surface texture of the painting

Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Vertumnus

US$ 618.00

A portrait of Emperor Rudolf II assembled entirely from fruit, vegetables, flowers and grain — a pear for the nose, cherries for the mouth, a courgette and aubergine for the neck. Arcimboldo casts the emperor as the Roman god of seasons and plant growth, making the flattery structural rather than decorative. The picture is a genuine likeness and an elaborate visual joke at the same time.

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Artist

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (c.1526-1593) served three Habsburg emperors in Vienna and Prague as court portraitist, designer and pageant organiser, and invented the composite head as a distinct genre. His work fell into obscurity for centuries before the Surrealists rediscovered him in the twentieth century and claimed him as a precursor. Rudolf II reportedly kept Vertumnus among his most prized possessions.

Material Archival canvas
Frame Supplied rolled, unframed
Print Fine-art print, printed to order
Size 36 × 44 inches
Delivery 2–3 weeks
Certificate of Authenticity Included, emailed on delivery

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