SPRING by Guiseppe Arcimboldo a Mannerism Artist

1.Gather basic information about the artwork

Spring is an oil canvas painting created by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in 1563. It

is an allegorical painting located in Real Arcademia de Bellas Artes de San
Fernando, Madrid, Spain. The portrait spring is from four season collection. A
suite of painting showcasing the literal fruits of the prosperous reign of Emperor
Maximilian II. The Emperor loved the works so much, he had Arcimboldo
reproduce the painting multiple times, so he could send them to his friends and
family. The series can be seen as the epitome of the Mannerist trait which
emphasises the close relationship between mankind and nature.

2. Describe what you have seen.

 The image tagged by flowers and fruits. Spring is the opposite of winter. Its
profile is turned to the left, unlike the winter, the whose profile is turned to the
right. The head of a young girl is composed with a gentle smile on her lips. It
embodies the spring. In the painting, Archimboldo manifests himself as a great
connoisseur of flora. Skin, hair, dress are made of delicate petals and stems of
spring flowers, written out in the smallest details. The cheeks and skin of the girl
consist of white and pink buds, her hair is a magnificent cap of many colorful
flowers, her dress is made of herbs and flowers of green color. The nose is a lily
bud, the ear is a tulip, the eyes are a pair of Solanaceae at the time of their
flowering, bright pink lips and chin are roses. The neck is decorated with a collar
of white flowers. The whole image breathes freshness, youth and fragrance.

3. Describe the use of line, color, space,light, shape and value.

“Spring” is the direct opposite of “Winter”: its profile is turned to the

left, unlike the winter, whose profile is turned to the right. Spring is a riot of
colors and a multitude of colors, from which the head of a young girl is
composed with a gentle smile on her lips. It embodies the spring. In the
painting, Archimboldo manifests himself as a great connoisseur of flora.

Skin, hair, dress are made of delicate petals and stems of spring flowers, written
out in the smallest details. The plants and flowers used are painted realistically and
brightly to indicate that it was a spring season. The cheeks and skin of the girl
consist of white and pink buds; her hair is a magnificent cap of many colorful
flowers, her dress is made of herbs and also flowers of green color. The nose is a
lily bud, the ear is a tulip, the eyes are a pair of solanaceae at the time of their
flowering, bright pink lips and chin are roses. The neck is decorated with a collar
of white flowers. It looks like Arcimboldo collage the fruits, flowers and plants
into a human profile. So, basically unlike other portrait artworks Spring’s face
doesn’t have a space but occupied things that made her all in all looks like a young
woman smiling. Thus, the whole image breathes freshness, youth and fragrance.

4. Identify the purpose of the artist

 Four Seasons is a series of four paintings, for which Arcimboldo is still
perhaps best known. The series can be seen as the epitome of the Mannerist trait
which emphasizes the close relationship between mankind and nature. Spring is
a portrait represents the season itself and is made up of objects that characterized
that particular time of year. I firmly believe that generally the painting of the four
seasons indicates our connection in nature. Nature is considered as the mother of all,
as it helps to sustain our lives and it was shown by the young lady with her profile
composed of plants and flowers. The purpose of this painting is to enlighten and to
remind us that Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. Every form of
nature, for instance, the plants, animals, rivers, mountains, moon, and more holds
equal significance for us. Absence of one element is enough to cause a catastrophe in
the functioning of human life.

5. Summarize why you think the work is successful or unsuccessful.

I firmly believe that this masterpiece by Arcimboldo is successful because this is

the artwork that made him kThe works of Arcimboldo, especially his multiple images and
visual puns, were rediscovered in the early 20th century by Surrealist artists such as Salvador
Dalí. The exhibition entitled "The Arcimboldo Effect: Transformations of the face from the 16th to
the 20th Century” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice (1987) includes numerous 'double meaning'
paintings. Arcimboldo's influence can also be seen in the work of Shigeo Fukuda, István
Orosz, Octavio Ocampo, Vic Muniz, and Sandro del Prete, as well as the films of Jan
Švankmajer.[8]
Arcimboldo's works are used by some psychologists and neuroscientists to determine the
presence of lesions in the hemispheres of the brain that recognize global and local images and
objects.
nown. Perhaps, the artwork
Each portrait represents one of the seasons and is made up of objects that
characterize that particular time of year. Spring is a smiling young woman,
whose face comprises pink and white blossom skin with a lily-bud nose and
the ear of a tulip. Her hair is made up of colorful flowers while her dress is
made of green plants and a white floral ruff. Summer is made up of seasonal
fruit and vegetables, whose bright colors stand out against the dark
background, Summer's smiling face reassures the viewer of the warm
benevolence of the sunshine season. Autumn shows a man whose body is a
broken barrel and whose face comprises a pear (nose), apple (cheek),
pomegranate (chin) and mushroom (ear), all ripe to bursting. Autumn
demonstrates the fertility of the seasons and, in his protruding tongue, the
artist's anticipation for these ripened fruits. Winter is an old man wrapped in a
straw mat. He is made up of an aged tree stump, with pieces of broken-off
branch and scratched bark for his features, and a swollen mushroom for a
mouth.