A French Louis XIV Classical Allegorical Tapestry, Gobelins manufactory, depicting 'Air', from the series 'The Elements', after Charles Le Brun (1619-1690), cartoons by Baudouin Yvart (1611-1690), probably from workshop of Jean de la Croix, third quarter 17th century

The allegorical series of the Four Elements, represented Air, Earth, Fire and Water, and was designed in 1664 by the court painter and director of the Gobelins Royal Manufactory, Charles Le Brun. 

Air was sacred to Juno in antiquity and the goddess was identified by her attribute of the peacock. The goddess is also associated with the god Aeolus in the Story of Ulysses, when Juno took sides with the Greeks against the Trojans and persuaded Aeolus to release the power of the winds against the Trojans. The Elements were a popular, dramatic and extremely decorative subject matter and on the large scale of the original Le Brun series, were very prestigious and influential weavings. The allegorical subjects were personalised with elements in the borders to celebrate the virtues of those for whom they were woven, following on from those for Louis XIV. 

There is a comparable weaving of the weaving of Air, from the first woven set of this series, woven for Louis XIV, on low warp looms, using wool, silk and metal thread detailing, and incorporating the coat of arms of France and Navarre, in the Mobilier National Collection, France (Inv. GMTT-64-001). The prestige of the Le Brun Elements series influenced the English workshops and a version from the original cartoons with some variations, woven in reverse by the workshop of John Vanderbank the Elder, circa 1688-1695, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Inv. T.273-1989) and versions were made for Ralph Montagu, 1^st Duke of Montagu, with personalised detailing in the borders.