Fire

1566, Artist: Giuseppe Arcimboldo

 

 

Fire

Two paintings from the “Four Elements” series can be found in the KHM. They can be interpreted in the context of Arcimboldo’s cycle of the seasons, created previously: “Summer” (Inv.No. 1589) corresponds to “Fire”, “Winter” (Inv.No. 1590) to “Water” (Inv.No. 1586), “Spring” to “Air” and “Autumn” to “Earth”. In comparison, “Fire” with its chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece and medallion of the Two-Headed Eagle hints most clearly at Emperor Maximilian II.

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kabinett 8

Object data

Object Name

Painting

Culture

Italian, Lombard

Dated

1566

Artist

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526 - 1593 Mailand) - GND

Material

Limewood

Dimensions

66,5 cm x 51 cm
Framed: 79,5 x 63,3 x 5,5 cm

Signed

Inscribed at lower right: Joesphus Arcimboldus Mlnensis. F.

Inscribed

auf der Rückseite: IGNIS 1566

Image rights

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie

Inv. No.

Gemäldegalerie, 1585

Provenance

painted for Emperor Maximilian (?); from the treasury of Rudolf II; 1748 in the Vienna treasury; from 1830 in the picture gallery

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