Water (Hangings of The Elements) - Gobelins, after Le Brun

The Elements hanging, like the Seasons hanging which it completes and which is designed according to the same principle, was created by Le Brun for the Gobelins in 1664. The iconographic and literary program for these hangings, which combine allegorical mottoes and emblems, was conceived with the help of the Petite Académie. In his Memoirs, Charles Perrault recalled the circumstances of their creation, as well as his personal contribution:

"M. Colbert asked us for designs for tapestries to be made at the Gobelins manufactory. We were given several, among which we chose that of the Quatre Élémens, in which we found a way to include several things to the glory of the king. [...] I will only observe that all the mottos are mine [...]".

André Félibien wrote the explanatory inscriptions that adorn the borders of the haute lisse weavings, while medallions placed in the corners evoke, in the Elements series, the royal virtues of Piety, Magnanimity, Kindness and Valor. Le Brun appears to have taken a moderate role in the creation of the models, reserving the execution of the figures for himself and leaving the rest to his collaborators. The high-sheen hangings of the Elements and Seasons, framed by spectacular decorative borders, are one of the great successes of the Gobelins, whose early weavings have often retained their exceptional color brilliance. The motifs were taken up by miniaturist Jacques Bailly in a manuscript for the king (Vittet-Brejon, 2010, p. 129).