Set of four prints with personifications of the elements: "Ignis", "Aer", "Terra" and "Aqva", reduced copies after the designs of Maerten de Vos, first engraved by Jan Sadeler c. 1560-1600. Fire or "Ignis" is depicted as a woman holding lightning and flames in one hand and petting a salamander, the landscape behind her is overtaken by smoke and fire caused by an erupted volcano. Air or "Aer" is shown as a woman whose hair is part of the clouds above her, she is surrounded by four putti blowing wind towards her, while a chameleon sits at her feet. Earth or "Terra" is shown leaning against an overflowing fruit- and vegetables basket, and is holding flowers in her raised right hand, while there are more flowers woven into her hair. There are several animals depicted in the subtropical landscape all around her, such as a tortoise, frog, mouse, lizard, deer, and even what seems to be a small dragon. Water or "Aqva" is depicted as a woman with reed woven into her hair, she is sitting on a sea bench, holding two amphorae, and pouring water and sea creatures into the ocean. Two geese are flying over above her, and from amongst the many creatures in the water, a friendly sea dragon is swimming towards her. Maerten de Vos (1532-1603) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman. He was a pupil of his father Pieter de Vos, and a follower of Frans Floris in Antwerp. Between 1550 and 1558 he travelled in Italy, visiting Rome, Venice and possibly Florence. In 1558 he became a master of the Antwerp Guild of St Luke. Between 1571 and 1572, he was dean of the Guild. From 1575 he mainly produced print designs. He was the father of the artists Daniel (1568-1605) and Maerten the Younger (1576-1613). The brothers Jan Sadeler I (1550-1600) and Raphael Sadeler I (c. 1560-c. 1632) were part of a family with three generations of printmakers and publishers. They were originally based in Antwerp. Jan moved to Cologne in around 1579, and from 1588-1595 on the brothers worked together in Munich. Both left Munich in 1595 and moved to Venice via Verona. After Jan died in Venice in 1600, his son Justus took over the firm there. Raphael returned to Munich, but stayed in close contact with the Venice branch of the family. Hollstein Dutch and Flemish, Maerten de Vos, XLIV-XLVI, 1360-1364, copy d. Condition: Excellent, clear impressions. Minor time toning to the edges of the sheets. Trimmed to plate marks with thread margins. Old glue stains, along with old inscriptions in pencil on verso.