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The Four Elements series was the first to be designed and executed entirely at the new Manufacture Royale de Tapisserie des Gobelins. Based on an allegorical scheme initiated by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the series was developed between 1663ñ64 by the members of the Petite AcadÈmie, a group of scholars responsible for devising propagandistic iconography to celebrate Louis XIV. The set from which this panel derives was the first weaving of the design. In 1669, Louis XIV presented it as a diplomatic gift to Cosimo III de' Medici, grand duke of Tuscany, during his visit to France. Five more sets of the design were woven before 1680, a reflection of the esteem in which the series was held during the early years of Gobelins production.
The scene depicts Neptune, god of the sea, and his consort Thetis riding on a shell-like carriage drawn by sea horses. Although physically on top of his subjects, Neptune has lost control over them and many have been washed ashore. This loss of control is underscored by the inscription on Thetis' shield, which translates as: "The wave adheres less to the trident." The allegorical explanation of this scene is provided by the inscription in the lower cartoucheóLouis XIV alone had the power and goodness to ensure the safety of the maritime routes, as exemplified by scenes of the French naval and maritime activities in the cartouches in the vertical borders. The four corner emblems provide a meditation on the king's virtues: piety, magnanimity, kindliness, and valor.
Water
From a four-piece set, plus four
entrefênetres, of the
Four Elements
Design by Charles Le Brun after a scheme devised by the Petite Académie, 1664
Cartoon for the main scene by Baudrin Yvart, 1664
Cartoon for the borders by Isaac Moillon, 1664
Woven in the workshop of Jean Jans the Elder at the Manufacture Royale des Gobelins, Paris, 1666
Wool, silk, and gilt-metal-wrapped thread; 16 ft. x 22 ft. 67/8 in. (488 x 688 cm)
Inscribed JANS 1666 above the lower selvage at right
Deposito Arazzi della Soprintendenza Speciale per Il Polo Museale Fiorentino, Palazzo Pitti, Florence (Arazzi no. 7)