This canvas by a late 17th-century painter is part of a group of four works, all at the Museo del Prado (P191, P3196, P3197 and P3198), that express the idea of the Elements through motives drawn from classical mythology. The image that embodies Fire might be taken for Jupiter, given his handful of lightening bolts and the shining star that accompanies him. However, it is more likely to be Prometheus, who has just stolen one of the Sun’s rays. His beardless and youthful appearance certainly does not belong to Jupiter, and the salamander at his feet is not related to the father of the gods, either. In fact, this reptile is a well-known embodiment of fire and is often present in allusions to that element. The canvas´s warm quality and relaxed technique are tied to the tradition of Rizi-Carreño and also reveal a clear familiarity with Rubens.

This important series has never received critical attention, yet it is especially interesting as an example of the artistic situation in circles close to the Madrid court during the final years of the 17th century. They reflect much of Carreño’s approach through Claudio Coello and Ruiz de la Iglesia, with clear but already distant echoes of Venetian and Flemish painting, and even knowledge of Luca Giordano, whose works are known to have been at the Madrid court since at least the late sixteen-fifties. These four works cannot be confidently attributed to any known artist and there are even some differences among them. The Air is attributed to Giordano, while the other three are always listed as anonymous, without mention of their school or possible circle.

Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Carreño, Rizi, Herrera y la pintura madrileña de su tiempo, Madrid, Ministerio de Cultura. Banco Herrero, 1986, p.350