The Gardner (c.1590) by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

The Gardner - Giuseppe Arcimboldo - c.1590

Artwork Information

TitleThe Gardner
ArtistGiuseppe Arcimboldo
Datec.1590
Mediumoil,wood
Dimensions35 x 24 cm
Art MovementMannerism (Late Renaissance)
Current LocationMuseo Civico Ala Ponzone, Cremona, Italy

About The Gardner

“The Gardener” is an allegorical painting created in circa 1590 by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an artist associated with the Mannerism movement of the Late Renaissance. This oil-on-wood artwork, which measures 35 x 24 cm, is part of Arcimboldo’s “Visual Pun” series. It is presently housed in the Museo Civico Ala Ponzone in Cremona, Italy.

The artwork depicts a whimsical and surreal arrangement of various vegetables and plants that together form the image of a gardener’s head. A black hat sits atop the “head,” which consists primarily of a large onion and other root vegetables providing facial features, including radishes, carrots, and cabbages. The clever use of organic materials creates a visual pun and conveys the agricultural theme of the piece. Arcimboldo’s masterful attention to detail and his unique blending of realism and fantasy reflect the intricate and imaginative nature characteristic of Mannerist art.

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