A Masterpiece of Abstract Art in the 16th Century
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an Italian artist from the Renaissance period, created a series of paintings called 'The Four Elements' in 1566. Among these masterpieces is 'The Librarian', which is currently housed at Skokloster Castle in Sweden. This painting is thought to be a portrait of Wolfgang Lazius, a humanist and historian who served Holy Roman Emperors of the House of Habsburg.
A Portrait Made of Books
Arcimboldo was known for his unique style of creating portraits using an assemblage of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, or in this case, books. The Librarian is a celebration and satirical mocking of librarians and scholarship, featuring a face made entirely of books. However, some argue that it may be specifically a parody of materialistic book collectors more interested in acquiring books than in reading them.
A Later Copy of Arcimboldo's Original Painting
The original title of the painting is unknown, and its current title first appears (in Swedish as "Bibliotekarien") in an early 20th-century inventory. There are three other extant versions of the painting whose attributions are uncertain. A scientific study published in 2011 concluded that The Librarian was a later copy of Arcimboldo's original painting, whose whereabouts are unknown.
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Skokloster Castle, located in Sweden, is home to two works by Arcimboldo: 'The Librarian' and 'Vertumnus'. The painting was brought to Sweden following the looting of Prague Castle by the Swedish army during the 1648 Battle of Prague and was owned by General Hans Christoff von Königsmarck.
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