The ceiling of the vestibule of the Gallery of Apollo in the Louvre is formed by a central decoration surrounded by four smaller ones representing the four elements. In the centre, Merry-Joseph Blondel (1781-1853) painted the fall of Icarus and represented Air in the guise of Aeolus. Earth (Hercules and Antaeus), Fire (Venus) and Water (Achilles) are the work of Auguste Couder (1789-1873). Between these compositions, Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse (1784-1844) painted in grisaille four pendants which imitate bronze. The grisaille technique consists of using several levels of grey, from white to black, to obtain a trompe-l'œil or chiaroscuro effect.