A Louis XV Allegorical Tapestry, ‘Fire/Jupiter’, from ‘Four Elements’ from the series, Les Portières des Dieux, Paris, Royal Gobelins manufactory, between 1740-1774, under direction of Jacques Neilson (1714-1788), after designs by Claude Audran III (1658-1734), Louis de Boulogne, Michel Corneille, Alexandre-François Desportes and Pierre Josse Perrot

Maurice Fenaille, Etat général des tapisseries de la manufacture des Gobelins depuis son origine jusqu'à nos jours, 1600-1900, Impr. Nationale, Paris, 1903-1923 (III, p.9);

Jules Guiffrey, Inventaire général des richesses d'art de la France, Paris, monuments civils, tome IV : Tapisseries du Garde-Meuble, Paris, 1913 (p. 115)

The design for Les Portières des Dieux, first known as Nouvelles Portières des Rabesques des Dieux were ordered by Mansart from Claude Audran III in 1699 and comprised of eight panels in the series. Four panels were of the Elements, and comprised of Juno as Air, Diana as Earth, Neptune as Water and Jupiter as Fire, and a further four panels were of the Seasons, depicting Venus as Spring, Ceres as Summer, Bacchus as Autumn and Saturn as Winter. The successful designs (1658-1734) were a collaboration by several specialists, with the overall compositions by Claude Audran , and including figures of the various goddesses, gods and children designed by Louis de Boulogne (1654 - 1733) and Michel Corneille (d.1708) and animals after Alexandre-François Desportes (1661-1743). 

Claude Audran III, one of master of Watteau, was at that time employed to decorate the chambers of the duc d'Orléans at Meudon, painting the Menagerie and the chamber of the princesse de Conti at Versailles. Audran did not appear in the Royal accounts until 1699 on the reopening of the Gobelins manufactory, when he was charged with numerous considerable commissions. The Portières des Dieux was the first series of tapestries to be woven after the reopening and the first tapestries of the series were completed in January 1701 in the atelier of Dominique De La Croix. Jacques Nielson, as head of the basse lisse (horizontal) looms at the Gobelins manufactory, executed these designs until 1789. Several cartoons were delivered for each subject for both the high and the low looms. In addition to the compositions three different border designs were prepared for the set, and the third version, found on the present panel, was used exclusively at the low looms from 1740-1774 and designed by Pierre Josse Perrot.

The series proved to be one of the most enduring of all the Gobelins designs and was woven throughout the 18th Century with a variety of background colours and some including gold and silver thread.