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Winter — The Four Seasons — A gnarled tree becomes a human head.
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Illusions in painting / 1573

Winter — The Four Seasons

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A gnarled tree becomes a human head.

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Switch between the whole profile and its individual ingredients. Compare the other three seasons.

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History, evidence & image credit

THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE

Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Original file & attribution · Public domain

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Frequently asked questions

What is Winter — The Four Seasons?

A gnarled tree becomes a human head.

What should I look for in Winter — The Four Seasons?

Switch between the whole profile and its individual ingredients. Compare the other three seasons.

What explains Winter — The Four Seasons?

Bark, branches, and winter vegetation take the place of aging skin and hair. This is a composite portrait: the overall face emerges from an arrangement of separate things.

Another way to see it

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The Ambassadors — A double portrait with a skull that emerges from an oblique view.

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Hans Holbein the Younger

A double portrait with a skull that emerges from an oblique view.

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Vertumnus — Rudolf II appears as a face assembled from fruit, flowers, and vegetables.

Vertumnus

Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Rudolf II appears as a face assembled from fruit, flowers, and vegetables.

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Winter — The Four Seasons — A gnarled tree becomes a human head.

Winter — The Four Seasons