This richly illustrated book explores the connection between man, nature and time through depictions of the cycles of the seasons and months by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Jacopo Bassano.


During the 16th century, the study of nature gained importance, partly due to the rise of the Scientific Revolution. Art played a crucial role in documenting the natural world and provided accessible visual material for scientific research. Illustrations circulated among European courts, from the Medici to Emperor Rudolf II, fuelling artistic and scientific curiosity.


This book presents more than 100 artworks from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and leading international institutions, depicting man's ongoing search for his place in the world.