We don’t have an image of this object online yet. V&A Images may have a photograph that we can’t show online, but it may be possible to supply one to you. Email us at vaimages@vam.ac.uk for guidance about fees and timescales, quoting the accession number: E.263-1991
Find out about our images

Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case DR, Shelf 118

Air

Print
1670 (printed and published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of a pair of framed prints in the collection of the V&A. It depicts one of the four elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water) and is from a suite of prints derived from tapestries that were made at Gobelins tapestry factory where engraver Sebastien Le Clerc was installed and later made professor. The tapestries were based on paintings by painter Charles Le Brun, who was Royal Painter and superintendent of the Gobelins factory between 1663 and 1690 and who encouraged Le Clerc to devote himself to engraving his designs. These prints by Le Clerc were first published in 1670.

This print (like its companion) is in an early eighteenth century frame. It has been laid onto a household linen. The bole used for gilding the frame is French or German in type and the possibility that the linen is unbleached and hence more likely to be French, suggests that the construction of the frame is French.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Air (assigned by artist)
  • Tapisseries du Roi, où sont représentés les quatre élémens & les quatre saisons (series title)
Materials and techniques
Engraving and etching mounted onto linen and nailed to wooden strainer in gilded and glazed frame
Brief description
Engraving and etching by Sebastien Le Clerc, Air, reproduction of a Gobelins tapestry after Charles Le Brun; French 1670.
Physical description
Representation of Air, one of the four elements, showing Juno raised on a cloud and Iris seated on a rainbow accompanied by birds of all kinds. Boreas, God of the North Wind is behind the cloud. In the middle of the image Juno holds a shield showing a sun and crown emblem.

Around the image is an ornamental printed frame comprised of a decorative border comprised of musical wind and percussion instruments. Within the border in each corner are circular cartouches with images; lower left a beehive, upper left a rainbow and clouds, upper right and lower right birds. Rectangular cartouches in the centre of the sides show an image, left, of a large building, and right, a firework display. In the centre, top, is a shield with fleur-de-lis and an eagle on either side. In the centre, bottom, is a panel with inscription, surrounded by four 'winds'.

The print has been laid onto diaper household linen and nailed to wooden stainer. There is a gilded frame with cross keys on the mitres. The glass is hand blown.
Dimensions
  • Frame height: 43.2cm
  • Frame width: 59cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • C. le Brun in / IG exc
  • LVDOVICVS XIIII. HOSTIVM SVIQVE IPSIVS VICTOR, / FORTISSIMAM GENTEM BELLO FRACTAM GEMINO / PACIS AC CONNVBII FOEDERE SIBI DEVINXIT; IAMQVE / AER TVRBVLENTO ARMORVM STREPITU NVPER COMO / TVS, FESTIVIS PVBLICAE LAETITIAE COCENTIB PERSONABIT
  • SIGNAT CLEMENTIA REGEM (Lower left border cartouche)
  • TERRAS DEVINXIT OLLMS C (Upper left border cartouche)
  • SEMPER SVBLIMIS (Upper right border cartouche)
  • MERVITQVE TIMERI (Lower right border cartouche)
  • CITIVS VENTOS ET NUBILA PELLIT
    Transliteration
    In shield within image
Historical context
Prints framed and used as decoration on walls. The print has been laid onto diaper household linen and nailed to wooden stainer. There is a gilded frame with cross keys on the mitres. At some time the gilding on the frame has been painted over with black which has later been scraped off. There is a loop of textile tape about 2cm wide nailed to the top of the back of the frame to act as a fixing. The glass is hand blown and contains a number of impurities. The bole used for gilding is French or German in type and the possibility that the linen is unbleached and hence more likely to be French, suggests that the construction of the frame is French.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is one of a pair of framed prints in the collection of the V&A. It depicts one of the four elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water) and is from a suite of prints derived from tapestries that were made at Gobelins tapestry factory where engraver Sebastien Le Clerc was installed and later made professor. The tapestries were based on paintings by painter Charles Le Brun, who was Royal Painter and superintendent of the Gobelins factory between 1663 and 1690 and who encouraged Le Clerc to devote himself to engraving his designs. These prints by Le Clerc were first published in 1670.

This print (like its companion) is in an early eighteenth century frame. It has been laid onto a household linen. The bole used for gilding the frame is French or German in type and the possibility that the linen is unbleached and hence more likely to be French, suggests that the construction of the frame is French.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Jombert, C. A. Catalogue Raisonné de l'Oeuvre de S. Le Clerc. 2 Volumes. Paris, 1774.
  • Tapisseries du Roi, où sont représentés les quatre élémens & les quatres saisons. Paris, 1670
  • Katalog der Ornamentstich-Sammlung der Staatlichen Kunstbibliothek Berlin. Berlin, 1936-39.
Collection
Accession number
E.263-1991

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 2, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSON