About Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Painted portraits made entirely of fruit, vegetables, fish, and books for the Habsburg court. Forgotten for three centuries until the Surrealists found him.
Where to see Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Ranked by works you can see in person.
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9 works
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Maria-Theresien-Platz, Austria
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4 worksLouvre
Paris, France
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4 works
Bavarian State Painting Collections
Munich, Germany
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2 works
Southampton City Art Gallery
Southampton, United Kingdom
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2 works
Nationalmuseum
Stockholm, Sweden
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1 works
Menil Collection
Houston, United States
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1 worksRoyal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando
Palace of Goyeneche, Spain
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1 worksSkokloster Castle
Håbo Municipality, Sweden
Also here (2)
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1 works
National Gallery of Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Also here (6)
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1 worksDenver Art Museum
Denver, United States
Giuseppe Arcimboldo prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Giuseppe Arcimboldo's body of work.
View all 18 museums
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1 works
Museo Civico Ala Ponzone
Cremona, Italy
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0 worksNational Gallery Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
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1 works
French and Company
New York City, United States
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1 works
National Portrait Gallery of Sweden
Gripsholm Castle, Sweden
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0 works
Musei di Strada Nuova
Genoa, Italy
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1 works
Palace of Versailles
Versailles, France
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1 works
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
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0 works
Austrian National Library
Neue Burg, Austria
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See all Giuseppe Arcimboldo prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Giuseppe Arcimboldo live?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was born in Milan. He later worked in Prague before returning to Milan, where he died.Who was Giuseppe Arcimboldo?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a painter who created composite portraits. He constructed these portraits from fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, and tree roots.Who is Giuseppe Arcimboldo?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a painter, humanist, and poet. He also designed decorations for festivities and purchased art for the Emperor's collection.What was Giuseppe Arcimboldo famous for?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was famous for painting composite portraits made from a collection of items. These included fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, and even tree roots.What is Giuseppe Arcimboldo most famous painting?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo's most famous series are The Four Seasons and The Four Elements. Spring is a face made of flowers, Summer is made of fruit and vegetables, Winter is a gnarled tree trunk with a mushroom lip, and Water is composed of fish and sea creatures.What is Giuseppe Arcimboldo best known for?
Giuseppe Arcimboldo is best known for his composite portraits. These portraits are made from a collection of fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, and even tree roots.Why did Giuseppe Arcimboldo paint food?
The passages provided discuss the literary, poetic, and philosophical implications of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's work, describing them as 'serious jokes'. They also mention his involvement with natural history and nature painting.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's works across the following collections.
- [1] museum National Gallery Prague Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Austrian National Library Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum French and Company Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Denver Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Palace of Versailles Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum National Gallery of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Kaufmann, Thomas DaCosta, Arcimboldo Used for: biography.
- [8] book Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann, Arcimboldo_ Visual Jokes, Natural History, and Still-Life Painting(repost)_1 Used for: biography.
- [9] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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