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Beautiful Fruit-Filled Portraits By Guiseppe Arcimboldo

Hark back to the 16th century, the early days of revolution and discovery. While fields of study bloomed and Renaissance artists everywhere became inspired by tales of the holy, one artist found his muse in mother nature and her delicious treats. Guiseppe Arcimboldo was an artist born in Milan in 1527. By age 21, he was designing stained glass ceilings at local cathedrals and churches. A few years later, he began developing his own style of portraiture, a unique style that blended classic human shapes with fruits, veggies, and other tidbits of nature. 

Despite the fact that this Renaissance-era artist created numerous traditional mannerist pieces, it is his odd portraits that still leave artists and patrons fascinated today. He combines the geometry of day-to-day items and creatures with human facial features and body structure to create fantastically real figures. Here are some of the works of Guiseppe Arcimboldo that have astounded and surprised the art world.

1. Autumn, 1573

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Autumn, 1573

(By Xennex, WikiArt)

2. Winter, 1573

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Winter, 1573

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

3. Spring, 1573

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Spring, 1573

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

4. Summer, 1573

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1573

(By Elton Luz, WikiArt)  

5. The Waiter, 1574

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Waiter, 1574

(By F.B. Alban, WikiArt)  

6. Portrait of Eve, 1578

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Portrait of Eve, 1578

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

7. Portrait of Adam, 1578 

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Portrait of Adam, 1578

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

8. Seated Figure of Summer, 1573

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Seated Figure of Summer, 1573

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

9. The Cook, 1570

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Cook, 1570

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

10. The Lawyer, 1566

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Lawyer, 1566

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

11. The Librarian, 1566

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Librarian, 1566

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

12. Flora, 1588

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Flora, 1588

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

13. The Vegetable Gardener, 1590

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Vegetable Gardener, 1590

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

14. Four Seasons in One Head, 1590 

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Four Seasons in One Head, 1590

(By Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Wikimedia Commons)  

15. Vertumnus (Emperor Rudolph II), 1591

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Vertumnus (Emperor Rudolph II), 1591

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

16. The Spring, 1562

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, The Spring, 1562

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

17. Earth, 1570

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Four Elements, Earth, 1570

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

18. Air, 1566

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Four Elements, Air, 1566

(By Xennex, WikiArt)  

19. Fire, 1566

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Four Elements, Fire, 1566

(By Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Wikimedia Commons)  

20. Water, 1566

Portraits created with shapes of fruits, veggies and elements of nature by 16th century Italian mannerist artist from Renaissance period, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Four Elements, Water, 1566

(By Xennex, WikiArt)

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