Formerly identified simply as a "Study, Several Figures Struggling," this sketch depicts a battle of the four elements, as the inscription at bottom indicates: Vulcan representing fire, June representing air, a river god (at bottom) representing fire, and Cybele with her crown representing earth. The sketch is preparatory for the figures at right in Testa's "The Allegory of Summer" of ca. 1642-44, one of a suite of four etchings representing the seasons. Other drawings preparatory for the etching are one at the Teylers Museum (inv. I 045) and another sold at Christie's, Paris, 22 March 2023, lot 17.
Not in Fairfax Murray catalog.
Inscribed at lower edge, in pen and brown ink, "S...gli Elementi".
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.