Antwerp, 1635. In the bustling workshop, Jan Brueghel the Younger and Frans Francken II unite their talents to create an ambitious pictorial celebration: the four elements embodied in a single landscape. This Flemish collaboration tells of the harmony of the world.
A theater of nature
Four elegant women occupy the center of the composition. Water gushes from a jug in a silvery cascade. Earth reveals itself in the cornucopia overflowing with ripe fruit. Fire is held at the end of a long staff. Air spins a sphere and takes flight with the multicolored birds crossing the sky. Brueghel the Younger paints the luxuriant landscape, a technique favored by Flemish masters for its precision. The deep greens of the foliage contrast with the shimmering fabrics of the allegories painted by Francken II.
The art of collaboration
In the 17th century, Antwerp became the laboratory of artistic specialization. Painters joined forces according to their expertise: one mastered human figures, the other excelled in landscapes. This practice met the demands of wealthy clientele seeking technical perfection. Allegories of the elements were then a prized subject, symbolizing erudition and refinement. Brueghel the Younger explored this theme throughout his career.
Brueghel, Heir to a dynasty
Jan Brueghel the Younger perpetuated the family style initiated by his grandfather Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Trained in his father’s workshop, he developed remarkable virtuosity in teeming scenes. This work illustrates his ability to orchestrate natural complexity.
💭 Observe the harmonious coexistence between the material and immaterial in this painting. How did our ancestors conceive the world through these four elements?
About the work
- Landscape with Allegories of the Four Elements, Jan Brueghel the Younger and Frans Francken II, 1635
- Oil on panel, 52.7 × 81.3 cm
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103RBB
