2027 is the 500th anniversary the birth of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, one of the strangest & most intriguing artists of all time. He captivated his contemporaries with his depictions of the human face composed of objects such as fruits, flowers, fish & books. After centuries of obscurity, he was rediscovered in the 19th century & then revered by the Surrealists who saw him as a pioneer for their mining of the subconscious. Arcimboldo worked at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, one of the greatest collectors in history who acquired masterpieces by Bruegel, Titian & Durer. He also assembled hundreds of artists, wizards & alchemists at his castle in Prague. This lecture examines Arcimboldo's unique career in the context of his patron's grand project of pursuing occult knowledge at the frontier of art & science.
THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER
Mr Rupert Dickens
Rupert Dickens is an art historian based in south London with a special interest in Dutch and Flemish 16th and 17th century painting. He works at the Wallace Collection as a guide conducting public and private tours and lecturing on aspects of the collection. Rupert is also a tour director for a Cambridge-based company accompanying groups on art-themed tours to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria and Italy. He has lectured to large audiences on subjects as diverse as the game of chess in art and Madame de Pompadour’s artistic patronage in 18th century France. He studied art history at Birkbeck College before undertaking a Masters in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London. Before that Rupert had a 26-year career as a BBC journalist ending as an editor in radio news.
OTHER EVENTS
Worthing Road