Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s 16th century Mannerist oil painting, “Fire” (1566), is a collection of found objects of contemporary technology used to create the profile of a cyborg-like figure. The painting represents many fire producing elements including two cannons forming the shoulder and chest of the figure, a musket, a metal oil lamp as the mouth, and several flintlocks as the nose and ears. Arcimboldo’s painting is the oldest known representation of a cyborg figure and indicates the fascination cyborgs, or human-machine systems, have held for humanity through the centuries. Even though Giuseppe Arcimboldo has many different unique paintings created from found objects, his “Fire” is noted for its portrayal of technology and modern relevance. Cyborgs, as stated above, are “living beings whose powers are enhanced by computer implants or mechanical body parts” (Dictionary.com). We can see in this painting that the portrait is not just an ordinary human but an individual composed of mechanical parts that indicate an association between power/wealth and technology (the subject wears the medallion of a statesman). The technology of Arcimboldo’s day, unlike our own, emphasized the destructive power of fire. However, the painting shows the continued association of technology, power, and the future of civilization.
Cyborgs 