This canvas by a late 17th-century painter is part of a group of four works, all at the Museo del Prado, that express the idea of the Elements through motives drawn from classical mythology. The image that embodies Fire might be taken for Jupiter, given his handful of lightening bolts and the shining star that accompanies him. However, it is more likely to be Prometheus, who has just stolen one of the Sun’s rays. His beardless and youthful appearance certainly does not belong to Jupiter, and the salamander at his feet is not related to the father of the gods, either. In fact, this reptile is a well-known embodiment of fire and is often present in allusions to that element.

The female figure that represents Air is accompanied by the Winds. In her right hand, she carries a bag that sprinkles water, representing rain, while the ray of light represents storms and lightning. Her exact identity is unclear, however. It was thought she might represent Dawn, but she is not accompanied by the proper attributes. Another possibility is Juno, who embodied Air on other occasions, but her traditional iconography is not present. It was also thought she represents the birds-of-paradise.

Here, the element Earth is represented with total clarity by the goddess Ceres. The summer fruit she carries, especially sheaves of wheat, and the fact that she is suckling a baby—an expression of fecundity—make her immediately recognizable. The lion and tortoise are also attributes of Earth, although they are associated with the Cybele rather than Ceres. In that sense, Ripa’s analogy between the lion and the farmer is well known: the lion erases its footprints with its tail, while the farmer, when sowing, erases his prints as he covers the seeds.

Water is embodied here by Ocean’s sister and wife, Thetis, who was queen of the seas. A crown and scepter underline her royal character, and she is accompanied by a dolphin and an enormous conch shell, as well as small seashells and snails that allude to the oceanic realm, and thus, to water.

The source of these four works is the Madrid circle of painters, but cannot be confidently attributed to any known artist and there are even some differences among them. The Air is attributed to Luca Giordano, while the other three are always listed as anonymous, without mention of their school or possible circle.