Thinking of giving art for Christmas? Explore our gift guide

Works Inspired by the Four Elements

Askjer, Eva Ullrich

Askjer

Eva Ullrich

Painting - 29.1 x 25.2 x 1.2 inch

$2,322

ASO I (SG86), Sylvie Guyomard

ASO I (SG86)

Sylvie Guyomard

Painting - 37.2 x 22.6 x 2 inch

$3,428

Abstraction 6, Gil Hanrion

Abstraction 6

Gil Hanrion

Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,769

Abstract I, Wissam Beydoun

Abstract I

Wissam Beydoun

Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 11 inch

$650

Wave, Petr Stacho

Wave

Petr Stacho

Sculpture - 21 x 20 x 5 inch

$11,500

Fire, Anne Authier

Fire

Anne Authier

Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 inch

$2,764

Oiseaux Fantômes, Saul

Oiseaux Fantômes

Saul

Painting - 76.8 x 38 x 0.8 inch

$19,462

Layers, Antonietta Valente

Layers

Antonietta Valente

Fine Art Drawings - 6 x 4 x 0.1 inch

$531

Mon Île, Noémie Pons

Mon Île

Noémie Pons

Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 2 inch

$1,410

Maldives #3, Laure-Anne Lemaire

Maldives #3

Laure-Anne Lemaire

Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$1,327

Magnetic sunrise, Nadine Antoniuk

Magnetic sunrise

Nadine Antoniuk

Painting - 39.4 x 53.1 x 0 inch

$2,433

Realms of life, Poonam Choudhary

Realms of life

Poonam Choudhary

Painting - 48 x 72 x 2 inch

$3,500

Way to the sun, Nadine Antoniuk

Way to the sun

Nadine Antoniuk

Painting - 55.1 x 78.7 x 0 inch

$6,414

Evening glare on the water 6., Iryna Kastsova

Evening glare on the water 6.

Iryna Kastsova

Painting - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$1,880

To create the meaning, Poonam Choudhary

To create the meaning

Poonam Choudhary

Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch

$2,000

Aqua 3, Gina Vor

Aqua 3

Gina Vor

Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$885

Création de terre, Âme Sauvage

Création de terre

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$221

La femme de l'eau, Âme Sauvage

La femme de l'eau

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.9 inch

$442

Eté, Bang Hai Ja

Eté

Bang Hai Ja

Painting - 28 x 28 inch

$11,611

Aqua 2, Gina Vor

Aqua 2

Gina Vor

Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch

$885

Hidden light, Daniela Pasqualini

Hidden light

Daniela Pasqualini

Painting - 36 x 36 x 1 inch

$2,400

Water and sky dancing, Vik Schroeder

Water and sky dancing

Vik Schroeder

Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,327

Essence 16, Camil Giralt

Essence 16

Camil Giralt

Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$4,866

Ah (RK53), Rachel Kah

Ah (RK53)

Rachel Kah

Sculpture - 36.3 x 24.1 x 0.2 inch

$3,870

Every Rung, Emily Berger

Every Rung

Emily Berger

Painting - 14 x 11 inch

$1,805

Archipelago, Chelsea Davine

Archipelago

Chelsea Davine

Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.6 inch

$4,817

Nuages gris, Charlotte Pivard

Nuages gris

Charlotte Pivard

Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

$332

Flow 2, Anja Becker

Flow 2

Anja Becker

Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$3,306

Wabi - Vase, gray 11, Lesia Danilina

Wabi - Vase, gray 11

Lesia Danilina

Design - 10.2 x 6.3 x 5.9 inch

$1,106

Rebirth I, Shine Huang

Rebirth I

Shine Huang

Photography - 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

$1,800

Volcano, Tekla Aleksieva

Volcano

Tekla Aleksieva

Painting - 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch

$752

Night arrival, Waleria Matelska

Night arrival

Waleria Matelska

Painting - 12.2 x 8.3 inch

$276

Abstraction 1, Gil Hanrion

Abstraction 1

Gil Hanrion

Painting - 18.1 x 13 x 0.4 inch

$553

Now, Petya Deneva

Now

Petya Deneva

Painting - 49.2 x 59.1 x 1.1 inch

$6,790

Paysages et riverains, Christophe Vilar

Paysages et riverains

Christophe Vilar

Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 2 inch

$2,645

Apnoe, Galya Popova

Apnoe

Galya Popova

Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$3,649

Integration / True 025, Casey Grace

Integration / True 025

Casey Grace

Painting - 6 x 6 x 0.2 inch

$1,073

Under the surface, Christophe Vilar

Under the surface

Christophe Vilar

Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 2 inch

$5,289

AV_Rhine_Falls_001, Bernhard Lang

AV_Rhine_Falls_001

Bernhard Lang

Photography - 59.1 x 44.3 x 1.2 inch

$3,859

Natural, Romina Schimpf

Natural

Romina Schimpf

Painting - 35.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,322

Natural Essence, Romina Schimpf

Natural Essence

Romina Schimpf

Painting - 74.8 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

$2,543

170605, Catherine Brost

170605

Catherine Brost

Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.9 inch

$3,140

The wind will carry us, Krzysztof Wieczorek

The wind will carry us

Krzysztof Wieczorek

Print - 21.3 x 27.6 inch

$663

Sormiou, Bernard Biancotto

Sormiou

Bernard Biancotto

Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch

$663

AV_Rhine_Falls_005, Bernhard Lang

AV_Rhine_Falls_005

Bernhard Lang

Photography - 47.2 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch

$3,207

Le galion englouti, Fabienne Ribeyrolles

Le galion englouti

Fabienne Ribeyrolles

Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,382

Faille #13, Laure-Anne Lemaire

Faille #13

Laure-Anne Lemaire

Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$1,327

Bleu sidéral, Fabienne Ribeyrolles

Bleu sidéral

Fabienne Ribeyrolles

Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,212

The attraction of water, Vik Schroeder

The attraction of water

Vik Schroeder

Painting - 11 x 13.8 x 0 inch

$200

Mystical Shoreline, Sharon Grimes

Mystical Shoreline

Sharon Grimes

Painting - 35.8 x 23.6 x 2 inch

$4,412

Cleaning the sky, René Roeser

Cleaning the sky

René Roeser

Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 inch

$1,327

Humanis, José Zanni

Humanis

José Zanni

Painting - 18.9 x 14.2 x 0 inch

$188

Elements (1), Christophe Battifero

Elements (1)

Christophe Battifero

Photography - 11.8 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$553

Thrive, Alexia Rousse

Thrive

Alexia Rousse

Print - 30 x 43 x 1.3 inch

$3,174

Bal Harbour, Alexia Rousse

Bal Harbour

Alexia Rousse

Photography - 38 x 55 x 1.3 inch

$4,355

Série Fouilles variation CAD, Jana Lottenburger

Série Fouilles variation CAD

Jana Lottenburger

Print - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

$663

Root Concept 5, Jarmila Kostliva

Root Concept 5

Jarmila Kostliva

Print - 29.1 x 24.4 x 0.1 inch

$600

Premier, Éric Mercier Sevin

Premier

Éric Mercier Sevin

Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$498

Inception, Lisbeth Buonanno

Inception

Lisbeth Buonanno

Painting - 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

$5,529

Remembering Pablo Escobar Bogotà carrera 8 and calle 9, Luca Lionello

Remembering Pablo Escobar Bogotà carrera 8 and calle 9

Luca Lionello

Photography - 44.5 x 33.5 x 1 inch

$6,000

Autoportrait, Saul

Autoportrait

Saul

Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$7,741

Storm 1, Tim Hall

Storm 1

Tim Hall

Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$7,741

Thy will be done, Clotilde.MJ

Thy will be done

Clotilde.MJ

Photography - 17.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch

$321

Oracle, Clotilde.MJ

Oracle

Clotilde.MJ

Photography - 14 x 16.1 x 0.1 inch

$243

We are fire 4, Raul Diaz

We are fire 4

Raul Diaz

Photography - 4.2 x 6.5 x 0 inch

$663

We are fire 3, Raul Diaz

We are fire 3

Raul Diaz

Photography - 4.2 x 6.5 x 0 inch

$663

Clear Blue, Bill Bate

Clear Blue

Bill Bate

Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch

$3,223

Calm Blue, Bill Bate

Calm Blue

Bill Bate

Painting - 36.2 x 48 x 1.6 inch

$3,545 $3,191

Dreaming, Nguyen Quang Huy

Dreaming

Nguyen Quang Huy

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 inch

$6,000

We Belong With The Ocean #01, Samira Saidi

We Belong With The Ocean #01

Samira Saidi

Photography - 16.5 x 23.4 x 0.1 inch

$1,935

Joan of Arc, Carlos Quinto Kemm

Joan of Arc

Carlos Quinto Kemm

Print - 29.9 x 10.6 inch

$600

Solitude, Romain Reveau

Solitude

Romain Reveau

Photography - 29.9 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

$995

Franchir, Éric Mercier Sevin

Franchir

Éric Mercier Sevin

Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$420

Bord de Mer 2, Romain Reveau

Bord de Mer 2

Romain Reveau

Photography - 19.7 x 29.9 x 1.6 inch

$995

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.

Read more