Arcimboldo: Nature and Fantasy

Duration
30 minutes (closed captioned)
Language
The inventive and amusing paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo dazzled the courts of Europe. His imaginative combinations of fruits, vegetables, and flowers create allegorical portraits of emperors and witty caricatures of their courtiers, which won him the highest artistic honors bestowed by the Holy Roman Empire. His works reveal the mind of an artist deeply influenced by the new discoveries and new worlds that came to light during the Age of Exploration. This documentary combines original high-definition footage of the artist's native Milan and the Habsburg palaces of Vienna and Prague with images of Arcimboldo's work as a court painter, designer of festivals, and chronicler of the natural world. This film is available to be licensed in digital format to affiliates.
30 minutes (closed captioned)
Preview (14:12 minutes):

You may also like

Educational Resource: Exploring Identity through Modern Art
How do artists draw on memories and experiences to create art that reflects their identities? How does an artist’s connection to place spark inspiration? Through guided looking, sketching, and writing activities, students will consider how artists explore identity through their art.

Educational Resource: Breaking the Rules
What is modern about modern art? Students investigate how artists "break the rules" when they depart from realistic representation, use innovative techniques, and engage the viewer as a partner in creating meaning-making.