The Four Elements: Air

Air is known by the bird she holds in her arms, a peacock. The peacock belonged to Juno, queen of the gods, and ancient writers already read Juno as the air itself, so by Pellegrini's day the bird had become the standard sign for this element. Like her three companions, she is painted in grisaille, in shades of grey and cream meant to pass for carved marble. The painted niche around her imitates stone as well. At more than 2.5 metres tall, each of the four canvases was designed to read from across the room as a statue standing in the wall.