Water

1566, Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldo

 

 

Water

Two paintings from the “Four Elements” series can be found in the KHM. They can be interpreted in the context of Arcimboldo’s cycle of the seasons, created previously: “Winter” (Inv.No. 1590) corresponds to “Water” while “Summer” (Inv.No. 1589) relates to “Fire” (Inv.No. 1585), “Spring” to “Air” and “Autumn” to “Earth”. The small crown here is probably a hidden reference to the Emperor and hence to the person who commissioned the painting.

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kabinett 8

Object data

Object Name

Painting

Culture

Italian, Lombard

Dated

1566

Artist

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 - 1593 Mailand) - GND

Material

alder wood

Dimensions

66,5 cm x 50,5 cm
Framed: 79,5 x 63 x 6,5 cm

Inscribed

auf der Rückseite: AQUA

Image rights

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie

Inv. No.

Gemäldegalerie, 1586

Provenance

painted for Emperor Maximilian (?); from the art chamber of Rudolf II; 1748 in the Vienna Imperial treasury; from 1830 in the Picture Gallery

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