Summer and Fire

Two paintings by Giuseppe Arcimbolo, imperial court painter in Vienna and Prague. In 1562 he created a series of weird portraits based on the seasons, with “Summer” seen on the left, with all the richness and productivity of the season. A few years later he produced a four-part series on the elements, with “Fire” here on display.

“Fire” is a much more overt homage to the imperial court. Along with expected elements like a bonfire, flints, candles and wicks, we’ve got things like guns and cannons. Gunpowder fits the fire theme pretty well, but then there’s a chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and a badge with the two-headed imperial eagle. All of this is supposed to show what made the empire great: military might combined with chivalric Catholic traditions.