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Arcimboldo Style Self-Portraits
Submitted by: Nerina
Patane - T. C. Roberson High School - Ashville, NC
Unit: Self Portrait - Renaissance Art - Arcimboldo
Lesson Plan: Arcimboldo Style Self Portraits
Grade Level: High School (adaptable to all grade levels)
  
Objectives: Students
will
- View and discuss Renaissance art
- Critique portraits by Arcimboldo -Where
do ideas come from?
- Create their own self portrait through
imagery, symbolism - create self-identity
- Utilize elements and principles
effectively in composition
- Demonstrate skill and craftsmanship in
using materials
Materials:
Overhead projector
white drawing paper (or choice of colors)
Choice of media:
markers, colored pencils, oil pastels, crayons, tempera paints, brushes,
watercolors
Vocabulary:
Arcimboldo - identify - self-portrait -
narrative - symbolism. Positive/negative shape. Art style
Resources:
Giuseppe
Arcimboldo - four seasons, elements and more (not high
quality images). bio
Giuseppe
Arcimboldo - has high quality images (site has pop-ups and
annoying banners)
Giuseppe
Arcimboldo - Online Many more resources online.
Fun book to relate to this lesson: Faces
by Hanoch Piven (78 Portraits from Madonna to the Pope).
It is published by Pomegranate Communications, Inc, Box 6099,
Rohnert Park, Ca 94927
Instruction/Motivation:
- What is a portrait? Show examples of
non-traditional self portraits. View and discuss portraits
from the Renaissance and compare/contrast with those by
Arcimboldo.
- Encourage students to collect images
that answer "Who am I?"
Preparation:
Trace student silhouettes during previous
lesson. any strong light source may be used. Students could take
turns tracing - or the teacher could trace all of them.
Lesson
Summary:
The students learned about Arcimboldo, were
exposed to and inspired by his work, and then tried to create a
composite head of their own. This project proved to be fun,
strange, and challenging for the students. The students were encouraged
not just to "fill" their head with items, but to try
to make their features out of certain shapes or placement of
items. Because this was the last project of the year, the
students were allowed to work with the medium or mediums of
their choice. This made the students think about what medium
would best contribute to their idea. This was very challenging,
but successful as can be seen by viewing the examples.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo- Italian painter. In the middle of
the sixteenth century Arcimboldo made a normal debut with
youthful works including designs for windows and tapestries
respectively in Milan and Monza cathedrals and frescos for the
cathedral of Como. None of these gave any inkling of the bizarre
originality he would soon develop. In 1562 he was summoned to
the Imperial court in Prague and almost immediately his original
and grotesque fantasy was unleashed. He invented a portrait type
consisting of painted animals, flowers, fruit, and objects
composed to form a human likeness. Some are satiric portraits of
court personages, and others are allegorical personifications.
Arcimboldo's style has been so often imitated over the centuries
that it is sometimes difficult to make exact attributions. He
has been seen by some as the forerunner of Surrealism in the
20th century, but, more to the point, he should be seen in his
own context at the end of the Renaissance. This was a time when
people (collectors and scientists alike) were beginning to pay
more attention to nature. Arcimboldo really created the
fantastic image of the court in Prague, creating costumes, set
designs, and decorations. Emperor Rudolf II set him the task of
researching and buying works of art and natural curiosities, as
well as giving him countless commissions for paintings.
Procedure:
- Brainstorm on images and ideas that
represent "self"
- Arrange the resulting symbols and
images into a pleasing arrangement within silhouette
portrait - utilizing elements and principles of design.
- Add elements to negative space to
enhance the "story"
- Render composition in choice of media.
shown above: Watercolor, colored pencil and crayon resist
- Personal reflection on experiences and
meaning of portrait. Artist's statement.
Evaluation: Modified rubric - adapted from Marianne Galyk
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Assessment
Rubric
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Student Name:
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Class Period:
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Assignment:
Arcimboldo
Self Portrait
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Date Completed:
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Circle
the number in
pencil that best shows how well you feel that
you completed that criterion for the assignment.
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Excellent
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Good
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Average
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Needs
Improvement
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Rate
Yourself
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Teacher’s
Rating
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Criteria 1 – Student idea
gathering process - collection of symbols and
images
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10 - 9
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8 - 7
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6 – 5 – 4
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3 - 2 - 1
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Criteria 2 – Overall
composition - use of elements and principles of
design - suitability of media (aesthetics)
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10 - 9
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8 - 7
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6 – 5 – 4
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3 - 2 - 1
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Criteria 3 – Reflection on meaning
- artists statement
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10 - 9
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8 - 7
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6 – 5 – 4
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3 - 2 - 1
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Criteria 4 – Effort: took time to
develop idea & complete project? (Didn’t
rush.) Good use of class time?
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10 - 9
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8 - 7
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6 – 5 – 4
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3 - 2 - 1
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Criteria 5 – Craftsmanship – Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of
the art tools & media?
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10 - 9
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8 - 7
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6 – 5 – 4
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3 - 2 - 1
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Total:
50
(possible
points)
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Grade:
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Your Total
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Teacher Total
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Student
Comments (strengths/weaknesses):
Teacher
Comments:
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