Definition:
You could be excused for thinking that a painter who constructed people's faces from fruit, veggies, meat, and other unlikely objects such as pots and books, had to be a Surrealist, but in fact Giuseppe Archimboldo lived four centuries before.
Arcimboldo was born in 1527 in Milan, Italy, into a well-connected family. His grandfather was an archbishop; his father an artist. He began his career in the glass workshops of Milan Cathedral. He is known to have designed stained-glass windows showing scenes from the lives of various saints and frescoes. In 1562 he went to work at the Hapsburg imperial court of Ferdinand I, staying on at court under Maximilian II and Rudolf II. It was here that he did the paintings he is today remembered for.
His paintings may appear to be the odd imaginings of an artist, but they are full of allegorical references that modern viewers don't get. For example, there are references to classical gods and the 'wonder cabinets' of his era, in which exotic or bizarre objects were kept. In his portraits of the seasons, Spring is made up from flowers, Summer from fruit, Autumn from autumn fruits, and Winter from branches and leaves. Other portraits include a Librarian made from books, a Jurist from fish and meat, Water from aquatic animals, and Emperor Rudolf II who is portrayed by fruits from all four seasons, representing harmony.
Arcimboldo didn't paint only court portraits, he also organized parties, processions, games, weddings, celebrations, coronation festivals, did theatrical design, and designed architecture. Arcimboldo died on 11 July 1593, in Milan, passing into obscurity, until the Surrealists rediscovered and rejoiced in his work.
