Giuseppe Arcimboldo, "Winter," from Four Seasons, 1563.
The bareness of winter, the coldest and least lively of all seasons, is evident in Arcimboldo’s rending of it as a human form. Unlike the other three portraits in the series, “Winter” is not composed of produce or vegetation, but instead is created almost entirely using the rough, bare bark of trees. “Winter” presents the eldest member of the series, a withered old man whose skin is rough and wrinkled and whose craggy features are sculpted out of the folds and cracks in the tree’s bark. Also unique to “Winter” is its composition: rather than being created out of a variety of separate pieces that together create the human form, the man of winter is fashioned out of a single tree and its parts. The curving stump of a broken branch forms its nose, while a mushroom grows just below and creates the mouth. A break in the bark then helps to suggest its eyes, while another branch stump implies a craggy ear. Like “Autumn”, “Winter’s” expression is downright dreary, and his mushroom mouth forms a deep frown that creases the entirety of his face. His hair does offer some greenery among the roots and twining branches, however unlike the bright and seasonal leaves of the other portraits, only winter ivy crowns his head. But while from the neck up the portrait easily portrays the barrenness of winter, from the shoulders down it offers the promise of life and renewal beyond the cold. From its chest sprouts an orange and a lemon, while a woven mat is draped around his shoulders and protects the growing fruits and provides warmth to get them through the winter months. Their bright colors provide a small, cheery note to an otherwise dreary portrait, and assure the painting’s viewers that despite the chill, spring is not long behind - WUSTL Digital Gateway
Size: 4960px × 6015px
Photo credit: © steeve. e. flowers. / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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