Upsidedown by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Fitting fully into the heart of the late Italian Renaissance, this unusual and surprising masterpiece is an integral part of the Mannerist artistic movement. The virtuose painter Arcimboldo Giuseppe deploys here all his fantastic creativity through this anthropomorphic still life entitled “Upsidedown”. This work illustrates the great fascination of this era for original optical games, visual riddles as well as the astonishing metamorphoses of entire nature.

In the foreground, an imposing dark and lustrous metal bowl occupies the lower half of the composition. Inside rest various meticulously arranged vegetables, dominated by a huge onion with a coppery and shiny skin. At its sides, white turnips with earthy roots, curly salad leaves and celery branches with green hues complete this heterogeneous market garden assembly. The entirely dark background brings out the luminous reflections on the smooth surfaces of the plants. The raking light highlights the organic textures and bulbous shapes that seem almost to come alive under the attentive gaze of the spectator.

The technical genius is revealed in the stunning rendering of the satin texture of the onion and the metallic shards of the bowl. Thanks to a prodigious mastery of oil painting, the painter creates a striking illusion of reality. The careful execution bears witness to an absolutely exceptional and lasting craftsmanship.