From 1608 to 1621, Jan Brueghel painted four paintings on copper on the explicit commission of Federico Borromeo, the Allegories of the four elements. These paintings went far beyond their profane meaning, to acquire a profound religious value, given that Nature was the book written by God. The painting stands out for the richness of the natural landscape, it was sent by Brueghel to Cardinal Federico in 1614 and it is the third in the series to have been made.