Characteristics of The Four Elements – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water – were codified and refined in Ancient Greece and elaborated by Pliny the Elder in his Historia naturalis. The Four Elements and their properties became the cornerstone of Renaissance natural science and alchemy. Food appears prominently in this print series of The Four Elements published by Crispijn I de Passe after designs by Maarten de Vos (responsible for the drawings of The Four Seasons displayed nearby).