Transformation

The Alchemy of Arcimboldo

By Monique Dobbelaere, posted on Nov 6, 2025

The idea was to take an everyday object, in this case a pencil, and see it in a new way. Ken Vieth prompted his students to transform the pencil into something unexpected. I was immediately reminded of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the Italian painter from the Renaissance best known for his imaginative portraits comprising everyday items such as fruits, flowers, and books. I saw an opportunity to use Vieth’s project idea and couple it with a history lesson on an artist related to the concept.

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