Works Inspired by the Four Elements

The four elements of nature, otherwise known as the classical elements, typically refer to Air, Earth, Fire and Water and (later) aether, which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Tibet, and India have similar lists. Local languages refer to "air" as "wind" and the fifth element as "void". These different cultures and individual philosophers had widely varying explanations concerning their attributes and how they related to observable phenomena as well as cosmology. What united them, however, was an awareness of these different altering states being used to explain our planet.  Sometimes these theories overlapped with mythology and were personified in deities. 

While the classification of the material world in ancient Indian, Hellenistic Egypt, and ancient Greece into Air, Earth, Fire and Water was more philosophical, during the Islamic Golden Age in the Medieval era we can mark a clear scientific interest in proving a concrete delineation between the elements. Modern day science has given rise to atomic theory which proves this phenomena. Yet still to this day, humans are engrossed in the aura of the natural elements and we can see this in art. The four elements of nature have inspired art since the beginning of its creation. If we date art back to the point of cave man drawings, fire imagery appears alongside symbolic drawings to the other elements such as water and wind. Since this time, the four elements have not ceased to provide inspiration to artists. Perhaps this is down to the ephemeral nature of the subject that attunes so well to the inner spirit of the artist.

Artsper has many artistic interpretations of the classical elements inspired by nature's core. Discover the work of Ana Daganzo, Futura 2000 and Zin Taylor to name a few artists who follow in this line of work.

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Painting, Fire, Anne Authier

Anne Authier

Painting - 80 x 100 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 inch

$3,078

Fine Art Drawings, En Benissa (12), Juan Uslé

Juan Uslé

Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 23 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9.1 inch

$5,540

Painting, Leaves, Adel Mikaelyan

Adel Mikaelyan

Painting - 19 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 7.5 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

$148

Painting, L'île, Cécile Labonne

Cécile Labonne

Painting - 50 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch

$862

Painting, Orage, Duvez

Duvez

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$431

Fine Art Drawings, Layers, Antonietta Valente

Antonietta Valente

Fine Art Drawings - 15.2 x 10.2 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6 x 4 x 0.1 inch

$591

Painting, Askjer, Eva Ullrich

Eva Ullrich

Painting - 74 x 64 x 3 cm Painting - 29.1 x 25.2 x 1.2 inch

$2,585

Photography, We are fire 3, Raul Diaz

Raul Diaz

Photography - 10.7 x 16.5 x 0.1 cm Photography - 4.2 x 6.5 x 0 inch

$739

Painting, Skyfall, Paresh Nrshinga

Paresh Nrshinga

Painting - 100 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

$3,656

Painting, Storm, Anna Privaloff

Anna Privaloff

Painting - 90 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$2,462

Painting, Explosion, Enric Correa

Enric Correa

Painting - 90 x 60 x 1.5 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.6 inch

$923

Painting, Sunny, Gaëlle Wagner

Gaëlle Wagner

Painting - 180 x 300 x 0.1 cm Painting - 70.9 x 118.1 x 0 inch

$14,773

Painting, La Manche, Alexei Lantsev

Alexei Lantsev

Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$5,540

Painting, Apnoe, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting - 120 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$4,063

Painting, Aqua 3, Gina Vor

Gina Vor

Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$985

Fine Art Drawings, Mistral, Agnès Tiollier

Agnès Tiollier

Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 100 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.1 inch

$1,970

Sculpture, Incanto, Andrea Serra

Andrea Serra

Sculpture - 49 x 35 x 10 cm Sculpture - 19.3 x 13.8 x 3.9 inch

$2,142 $1,928

Fine Art Drawings, Abstract I, Wissam Beydoun

Wissam Beydoun

Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 28 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 11 inch

$650

Painting, Aqua 2, Gina Vor

Gina Vor

Painting - 80 x 60 x 0.4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch

$985

Painting, Britany, Anna Privaloff

Anna Privaloff

Painting - 55 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,108

Painting, Midi, Egor Plotnikov

Egor Plotnikov

Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,585

Painting, Natural, Romina Schimpf

Romina Schimpf

Painting - 90 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,585

Photography, Life on Mars?, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography - 66 x 88.1 x 0.1 cm Photography - 26 x 34.7 x 0 inch

$3,076

Painting, Every Rung, Emily Berger

Emily Berger

Painting - 35.6 x 27.9 cm Painting - 14 x 11 inch

$2,129

Painting, Archipelago, Chelsea Davine

Chelsea Davine

Painting - 110 x 110 x 4 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.6 inch

$5,363

Photography, Serenità, Mario Tarantino

Mario Tarantino

Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0.1 inch

$1,307

Photography, The Camargue, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography - 51.9 x 69.2 x 0.2 cm Photography - 20.4 x 27.2 x 0.1 inch

$2,461 $2,216

Painting, Gratitude, Milada Dureckova

Milada Dureckova

Painting - 90 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,022

Painting, Submergence, Uliana Sal

Uliana Sal

Painting - 20 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$400 $360

Painting, Cloud, Jordi Sàbat

Jordi Sàbat

Painting - 65 x 50 x 5 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 2 inch

$1,970

Painting, Untitled, Ani Qananyan

Ani Qananyan

Painting - 80 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$3,570

Painting, Inception, Lisbeth Buonanno

Lisbeth Buonanno

Painting - 130 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

$6,155

Painting, Untitled, Ani Hovak

Ani Hovak

Painting - 95 x 73 x 0.3 cm Painting - 37.4 x 28.7 x 0.1 inch

$1,354

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