Allegory of the Four Elements, Antwerp School, early 17th century

Oil on cradled panel. Antwerp school of the first third of the 17th century, circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger and Hendrick van Balen.

Our delicate composition fully belongs to the tradition of “multi-voiced” or “collaborative” works that flourished in the artistic milieu of Antwerp during the first half of the 17th century. Gathered in a wooded clearing, female figures converse with an almost musical harmony; they embody the fundamental elements of nature: Air, Earth, Water, and Fire. Our four protagonists inhabit a vegetal universe of slender trees and foliage edged with light. They are surrounded by a multitude of naturalistic details scattered here and there like sparks of life, all characteristics referring to the landscape vocabulary developed by Jan Brueghel the Younger and his circle during the 1620s–1630s. The figures themselves, elegant with elongated forms and distinctly mannerist grace, reveal the influence of Hendrick van Balen, placing the work within the figurative tradition of his workshop.

The identification of the Elements relies on a perfectly codified iconographic repertory: Air is represented by the figure leaning upon a cloud and holding an armillary sphere, symbol of celestial movements. Earth appears in the guise of a woman brandishing a bouquet of flowers and holding a cornucopia, symbol of fertility and inexhaustible abundance. Water is suggested by the large shell upon which the seated central figure rests, as well as by the coral branch she holds and the shells scattered at her feet. Finally, Fire is represented by the great candle or torch raised toward the sky by the last young woman, thus completing the symbolic balance of the scene.

Themes highly appreciated in Antwerp at the beginning of the Golden Age, allegorical subjects allowed artists to combine erudition, narrative charm, and technical virtuosity.

The Bérain-style molding in carved and gilded wood harmonizes perfectly with our delicate composition.

Dimensions: 49 × 36.5 cm – 55 × 43 cm with the frame.

Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601–1678) and Hendrick van Balen (1575–1632) belong to that Baroque Antwerp where workshops thrived on exchange and artistic circulation. Heir to a prestigious lineage, Brueghel the Younger extended the art of meticulous landscapes and allegories populated with precious details, while Van Balen, respected master of the guild, established his luminous figures, nymphs, and putti with graceful gestures.

Their paths naturally converged during the years 1610–1630, in the heart of a city where painting was often created collaboratively. Van Balen contributed his elegant figures, Brueghel his finely detailed landscapes: a dialogue of forms and colors inherited from the collaborations established with Jan Brueghel the Elder. Both moved within the orbit of Peter Paul Rubens, shared his patrons, his models, and this same culture of the open workshop where talents responded to one another.

Bibliography:

* Arnout Balis, *The Age of Rubens*, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1993
* *Brueghel et Van Balen. Artistes et complices.* Exhibition catalogue presented at the Musée de Flandre, May 17 – September 28, 2025, Snoeck Gent, 2025
* Klaus Ertz, *Jan Brueghel der Jüngere. Die Gemälde*, Lingen, 1984
* Klaus Ertz, Christa Nitze-Ertz, *Die Malerfamilie Brueghel*, Lingen, 2008–2014
* Klaus Ertz, *Hendrick van Balen (1575–1632). Die Gemälde*, Lingen, 2003
* Walter Liedtke, *Flemish Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York, 1984
* Hans Vlieghe, *Flemish Art and Architecture 1585–1700*, Yale University Press, 1998
* Anne Woollett, Ariane Van Suchtelen, *Rubens & Brueghel: A Working Friendship*, Getty Museum, 2006