Winter
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A1, plus 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches.An old man made from a tree stump, with fungus for lips and ivy for hair. He was painted for an emperor.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted Winter in 1563 for the Habsburg court in Vienna. It belongs to his Four Seasons, a series of heads built entirely from the things of each season. Winter is a gnarled stump with cracked bark for skin and a fungus for a mouth, wrapped in a woven straw cloak and crowned with twigs and ivy.
Look closely at the cloak. A lemon and an orange hang from it like jewels, the winter harvest of the imperial greenhouses. A hidden letter M and the firesteel of the Order of the Golden Fleece honour the emperor Maximilian II, to whom Arcimboldo presented the series on New Year's Day 1569. The original belongs to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The look
Bark brown, moss green and straw gold against a near black ground. Strange, witty and unforgettable. Renaissance wall art for a study, a dining room or a cabinet of curiosities, and maximalist wall art that starts conversations.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 cm | 23.4 x 33.1 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
| 24 x 36 in | 61 x 91.4 cm | 24 x 36 in |
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A clever gift for a birthday or a housewarming, and a fine choice for the darker months. A Renaissance joke with a royal secret.
More like this
More curious faces in our Portrait Paintings collection: The Mask by Bruno Croatto and Man Wearing Laurels by John Singer Sargent.
