Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel

Nature's Time

11 March 2025 to 29 June 2025

In spring 2025, the Kunsthistorisches Museum presents an extraordinary exhibition featuring master-pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Jacopo and Leandro Bassano, as well as other outstanding artists of the 16th century. The exhibition focuses on the interplay between humanity, nature, and time – an enduring theme that remains as relevant today as it was in the past.

How did people in the Renaissance navigate a changing world? How did they experience the passage of the seasons, the rhythm of nature, and the order of time? The exhibition Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel. Nature’s Time vividly illustrates how these questions preoccupied the artists of the era – and how they found expression in fascinating depictions of cyclical time, natural observations, and symbolic allegories. With over 100 carefully selected works – including loans from international museums and Viennese collections – the exhibition offers a unique insight into the artistic and scientific culture of the Renaissance. It combines art historical perspectives with a deeper exploration of the original function and significance of the works – an exciting journey of discovery into the art and worldview of the era.

With contributions from collections such as:

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Exploring the World

Since the dawn of time, humans have sought to understand and find their place in the universe. Philosophy and science have served as essential tools and foundations for the artistic exploration of the connection between humanity and nature.

Der Einfluss des Kosmos zeigt sich in unserer Welt durch Wetterphänomene und natürliche Zyklen, die erlauben, den Alltag in wiederkehrende Abläufe zu gliedern. Die Zeit selbst gibt dem Leben Struktur: Tage, Monate und Jahre schaffen messbare Ordnung und Rhythmus.

The influence of the cosmos manifests in our world through weather phenomena and natural cycles, which allow daily life to be structured into recurring patterns. Time itself provides structure to life: days, months, and years create measurable order and rhythm. This engagement is reflected in Renaissance art through fascinating depictions of months and seasons – featuring works that illustrate seasonal labor, festivities, and customs. With the great voyages of discovery during the Renaissance, navigation also gained increasing importance. New instruments enabled a more precise exploration of the Earth and its representation in maps, such as Albrecht Dürer’s meticulously detailed star charts or Gerhard Mercator’s groundbreaking globes. Yet it was not only art and science that were captivated by these achievements. Finely crafted measuring instruments became highly sought-after collectibles in the Kunstkammern of princes and rulers.

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A New Perspective on Natur

The exploration of the world during the Renaissance placed the imitation of nature at the center of artistic creation. Leonardo da Vinci embodied this approach more than anyone – his paintings and drawings reflect an understanding of the universe as a state of constant change. Albrecht Dürer, too, captured nature with striking precision in watercolor and tempera. His masterful fine painting became a model for generations of artists.

The 16th century was a period of transformation: new discoveries and inventions radically altered the worldview. Scholars revisited ancient texts to challenge and redefine the foundations of natural sciences. Groundbreaking works in anatomy, astronomy, botany, and zoology emerged during this time, and thanks to the printing press, they became accessible to a wider audience for the first time.

The figure of the artist played a central role in this process: not only through the written word but above all through imagery, they illustrated and conveyed the observed reality – making it visible and comprehensible to a broad public.

Bruegel

The Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder gave landscapes a new significance in his Cycle of the Seasons. He masterfully captured the interplay of light, weather phenomena, and atmospheric changes, depicting people in harmony with the rhythm of nature. His monumental portrayals of rural life were not just detailed glimpses into everyday existence but also invited reflection.

Arcimboldo

Giuseppe Arcimboldo also created a fascinating cycle of the seasons – through the form of allegorical portraits. In his paintings, seasonal fruits, flowers, and animals merge into imaginative faces. In his Viennese works, he subtly incorporated references to the good governance of the Habsburgs, whose rule symbolized balance and continuity – just like the eternal cycle of nature.

Bassano

In the mid-16th century, Jacopo Bassano explored the relationship between humans and nature in his biblical pastorals. He set religious scenes within the rural landscapes of Veneto, using them as a backdrop for episodes from the Old and New Testaments. His depictions of agricultural labor embedded everyday life in the cyclical rhythm of nature, imbued with deep spirituality.

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