ARCIMBOLDO, Giuseppe
Winter
1563
Oil on panel, 67 x 51 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
The painting is part of a cycle dedicated to the four seasons. Each one is symbolically represented by a startling and evocative juxtaposition of fruits and objects typical of that time of the year. Arcimboldo found this subject particularly congenial and often painted groups of pictures on a theme. Not only did he paint the four seasons, but also the four elements (Earth, Air, Water, and Fire).