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Allegory of the Four Elements (Vienna)

Allegory of the Four Elements (Vienna)

Object type Painting
Genre Allegory
Date 1604
Dimensions 42 x 71 cm
Support Copper
Medium Oil
Signature BRUEGHEL 1604
Our attribution Jan Brueghel the Elder
Other authorities Ertz 2008-10, #518
Ertz 1979, #110
Location Vienna, Austria
Collection Kunsthistorisches Museum
Accession numbers inv. #815
Tags Abundance, Elements, Encyclopedic, Birds, Fish, Van Balen, Nude, Putti, Landscape, Flowers, Fruit
External resources Kunsthistorisches Museum
Ertz 1979, cat. #110, fig. 435
Werche 2004, cat. #A.128
Silver 2006, pp. 215-7, fig. 10.7
Ertz 2008-10, cat. #518
Faber Kolb 2005, 52-56
Brussels 1980, cat. #124
Essen 1997, cat. #77
Phoenix 1999, cat. #8f
Before 1615 Vienna Probably in collection of Rudolf II
Until 1780 Wiener Kunstkammer of Hofburg
1780 Bratislava Moved to Pressburger Schloss
1781 Vienna Returned to the Belvedere Castle
18th century to 19th century Christian von Mechel 178, #76
19th century Eduard von Engerth 729
GNR. 906 (Cat. #1906, #1928, #1938)
E.A. Honig
April 19, 2013

Two closely related versions both in Madrid, one fully autograph by both painters (Ertz 1979 #300), the other a collaboration with Jan the Younger. Both are considerably larger and painted on panel.

Faber Kolb argues that this painting of 1604, the year that Jan Brueghel travelled to Prague, was probably made for Rudolf II in whose collection it was by 1615 according to the inventory of his goods to be inherited by Albert and Isabella (De Maeyer p.317); Faber Kolb 2005, pp. 52 & 55.

Christine Quach
June 9, 2014

Variants: Christie's New York, January 11, 1979 (panel, 61 x 92.5 cm); Koetser Gallery, London, 1958, #16 (panel, 61 x 104 cm).