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As the authors of this beautiful little book note in their opening
sentences, “Alchemy is one of the most evocative subjects in the
history of science. The very word fills the mind with images both vivid
and mysterious.” Our view of alchemy is shaped in part by the Netherlandish
genre paintings made in Holland and Flanders during the 17th century.
Significant collections of these paintings were acquired by Chester G.
Fisher, founder of the Fisher Scientific Company, and by Roy Eddleman,
founder of Spectrum Laboratories. Both collections are now in the possession
of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) and will be housed in the Roy
Eddleman Research Museum. This volume announces and celebrates this initiative
by CHF.
The book opens with a summary of alchemy describing its two major
branches: chrysopoeia (the transmutation of metals) and iatrochemistry
(chemical
medicine). There are also brief discussions of chemical industry in the
16th and 17th centuries and of the status of alchemy in society. These
introductory sections provide a context for the more detailed analyses
of the paintings that comprise the bulk of the book.
Genre paintings present
typical scenes or settings familiar to the artist and his customers to
entertain and teach the viewer. There is an underlying
moral message, often an ambiguous one. The paintings in the Fisher and
Eddleman collections show the evolution of one particular genre type—the
chymist—over time. More than twenty paintings from the collection
are reproduced and discussed in this volume. Their accompanying text
shows how the artists used composition, light, and color to create images
that communicate the intended message. The reader will learn about both
painting and various public perceptions of alchemy during this period
of history.
In just a few pages, this book provides a delightful and provocative
introduction to alchemy, art history, and the relationship between science
and society. Beautifully produced, it is a window into another time.
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