Who painted “The Librarian”?

“The Librarian” was painted by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in 1556. Where to see it: Skokloster Castle.

What to look for

Mannerism: High Renaissance figures are balanced and natural; Mannerist ones are stretched, crowded and theatrical, with unusual colour and unclear space. Baroque, after it, returns to weight and drama.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, also spelled Arcimboldi (5 April 1527 – 11 July 1593), was an Italian Mannerist painter best known for creating imaginative portraits in the shapes of human heads, though composed entirely of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and books. Wikipedia

Test yourself: a round on Giuseppe Arcimboldo

More by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

“Rudolf II as Vertumnus”, 1591
“The Jurist”, 1566
“The Fruit Basket”
“The Cook”, 1570s
“The Gardener”, 1587
“Spring”, 1573
“The allegory of Water”, 1566
“Summer”, 1573