FOLLOWER OF JAN BRUEGHEL THE ELDER | Allegories of the Four Elements

Ornans collection, Paris (according to the 1925 Fievez catalogue);
Anonymous sale ('Collections of P.-M. d'Augée and the Estate of Baronne de L...'), Paris, Galerie Fievez, 20 June 1925, lot 17 (as Jan Brueghel the Elder), for 18,000 Francs;
Private collection, France;
Whence acquired by the present owner.

All four panels are uncradled, flat and stable; two of the four have supportive blocks adhered to the reverse to support horizontal movement along panel joins. All four panels have thick varnishes that are only very slightly discoloured. Although the varnishes may mask some earlier retouchings, all four pictures appear to be in excellent condition. The set are framed to match in faux tortoishell and wooden frames. Fire: the panel is made of two planks, and there are supportive blocks adhered to the reverse along the panel join, and some discoloured retouchings along this line are visible. The varnish appears clear and even. There are no major damages visible to the naked eye. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the aforementioned retouchings and some other at the margins, and only very few other very minor retouchings scattered throughout. Earth: the panel is constructed of a single plank. There are no major damages visible to the naked eye, and the painting has an even, perhaps marginally discoloured varnish. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a negligible amount of tiny, scattered retouchings only. Water: the panel is constructed of two planks with support batons adhered to the reverse along the join, with some discoloured, old retouchings visible. There is a very small loss at the lower centre in the water, but no major damages visible. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a somewhat patchy area of varnish in the lower right corner, underneath which there are perhaps some retouchings in the delineation of the waves, otherwise only minor scattered retouchings. Air: the panel is constructed of a single plank, the surface has an even but yellowed varnish, and some frame abrasion visible at the margins, but no further significant damage is visible to the naked eye, bar a small paint loss at the lower right. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a handful of very minor, well executed retouchings, mostly to mask a minor degree of wear within the cloud on which female allegorical figure reclines.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This set of the Four Elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water - derives from series of paintings by Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568–1625), the best of which are the signed panels in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, dated 1606–11,¹ and the set datable to circa 1611 in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome.² Brueghel executed both those series with his erstwhile collaborator, Hendrick van Balen (1575–1632), who painted the figures. The artists worked together on several paintings depicting this theme, the earliest of which is the painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, dated 1604, in which all four Elements are combined in one composition.³ All four designs here reflect Jan Brueghel's love and facility for the execution of every minutiae - the compositions are filled with fascinating and charming details, from the flying fish in the Allegory of Water and the variety of exotic birds in the Allegory of Air, to the guinea pigs in the Allegory of the Earth, and the still-life of arms and armour in the Allegory of Fire.  

1 Inv. nos A-74-77; see K. Ertz, Jan Brueghel der Ältere (1568–1625), Lingen 2008–10, vol. III, pp. 1038–40, 1044–45, 1052–55 and 1061–65, cat. nos 491, 495, 501 and 507, all reproduced.
2 Inv. nos 322, 328, 332 and 348; see Ertz 2008–10, pp. 1041, 1046–48, 1055 and 1065, cat. nos 493, 497, 502 and 508, all reproduced.
3 Inv. no. 815; see Ertz 2008–10, p. 1080 and 1082, cat. no. 518, reproduced in colour.