Giuseppe Arcimboldo was born around 1526 in Milan, Italy. Very little information has survived about his personal life, so it is not known whether he married or had any children. Arcimboldo is principally known for his composite portraits. His technique was to paint fruit, vegetables and other items to make them look like a human figure. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock In 1549 Arcimboldo went to work at Milan Cathedral, where he created designs for stained glass windows. He also worked on frescoes in the Cathedral of Monza and designed a tapestry for Como Cathedral. Arcimboldo was a court painter for three Holy Roman Emperors; Ferdinand I in Vienna, and then Maximilian II and Rudolf II in Prague. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock In The Librarian (c.1566) the face and body of the subject is made up of books. It is thought to be a portrait of Wolfgang Lazius, a well known scholar at court. Part of Arcimboldo's job at court was to organise royal events such as weddings and coronations, and design costumes for plays. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock Arcimboldo was meticulous about his depiction of plants and animals, making sure that they were scientifically accurate as well as artistic. Arcimboldo followed in the footsteps of his father, Biagio, who was an artist in Milan Cathedral. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock In 1648, during the Thirty Years' War. Sweden invaded Prague. At that time many of Arcimboldo's paintings were stolen from Rudolf II's collection The Four Elements is a famous series of paintings that Arcimboldo made for Maximilian II. It consists of four heads in profile, representing Earth, Air, Fire, and Water . www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock Maximilian II was so pleased with Arcimboldo's work that he had replicas made and sent them out to other rulers in Europe. Some of Arcimboldo's portraits are reversible, and are designed to show a completely different image when viewed upside down, such as "Reversible Head with Basket of Fruit." www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock Arcimboldo's paintings were very famous during his lifetime, but fell out of favour after his death. They were rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th Century, and greatly influenced Salvador Dali and the surrealists. Today Arcimboldo's work is on display at some of the best known art museums in the world, including the Louvre in Paris and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock Arcimboldo's work contains lots of visual jokes. For example, in the Summer painting of his Four Seasons series, the ear is an ear of corn, In 1585 Arcimboldo asked if he could be released from his court service and allowed to return home to Milan. He was allowed to go to Milan in 1587, but continued to work for Rudolf II. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock In 1976 Spanish artist Miguel Berrocal created a bronze sculpture of Arcimboldo, made in his famous composite style. In 1592, Rudolf II appointed Arcimboldo a Count Palatine. This was a noble title and it was a great honour for the artist. www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock The first known pictures in Arcimboldo's famous composite style were presented to Maximillian on New Year's Day 1569. Giuseppe Arcimboldo died in Milan on the 11th of July 1593 from kidney failure. He was aged 66 . www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock www.teachingideas.co.uk © Images: © ThinkStock.