Anthropomorphic Allegory of Winter, Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Milan 1527 – 1593) Follower

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Milan 1527 – Milan 1593)
Follower of the 17th/18th century

Anthropomorphic Allegory of Winter

Oil painting on canvas
96 x 75 – In an important antique frame (defects) 118 x 101 cm.

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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, created with an innovative technique that would be imitated and revisited for decades.

In particular, he created a specific artistic genre that plays on optical illusion and anthropomorphic composition, composing real portraits in which he skillfully combines plant elements, fruit and vegetables typical of each period of the year.

Looking closely at these works, one cannot help but be amazed by Arcimboldi's extraordinary inventiveness: in our case, the winter figure is recreated entirely by combining typical elements of the cold season such as oranges, citrons, garlic, thistle, cabbage, onion, endive, leeks, and turnips.

According to the iconological reading, these works were to be interpreted as “imperial allegories” of a celebratory nature, whose symbolic purpose was to represent the dominion of the Habsburg house not only over rival families, but over all of creation, including the many resources of Mother Nature.

At the same time, this rich and erudite symbolism of anthropomorphic heads, besides glorifying Habsburg power, met the Mannerist court 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, as attested by the existence of subsequent autograph versions, replicas made by collaborators and numerous ancient 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" conceived by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who instead worked mainly 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:

Imm.1 – G. Arcimboldi (follower), Female portrait and composed figure with fruit and vegetables, Dorotheum Auction Vienna, 10 June 1997, no. 124/b
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/86956/

Imm.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, Composite figure with fruit and vegetables (Alternative attribution Francesco Zucchi) Antiques market, Florence
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/86984/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The state of conservation is good with the presence of some restorations and repainting of the surface.

The painting comes with a beautiful gilded frame and a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

If you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you!

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