Water
1566 | Giuseppe Arcimboldo
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.
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.
Artist:
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526 - 1593 Mailand) DNB
Time:
1566
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Italian, Lombard
Material/technology:
alder wood
Dimensions:
66,5 cm x 50,5 cm
Framed: 79,5 x 63 x 6,5 cm
Inscribed
auf der Rückseite: AQUA
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
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