Bibliograph

Painted alchemists, early modern artistry and experiment in the work of Thomas Wijck, Elisabeth Berry Drago

Type

Label

Painted alchemists, early modern artistry and experiment in the work of Thomas Wijck, Elisabeth Berry Drago

Language

eng

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Painted alchemists

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

1175633150

Responsibility statement

Elisabeth Berry Drago

Series statement

Amsterdam studies in the Dutch golden ageCambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Sub title

early modern artistry and experiment in the work of Thomas Wijck

Summary

Thomas Wijck's painted alchemical laboratories were celebrated in his day as "artful" and "ingenious." They fell into obscurity along with their subject, as alchemy came to be viewed as an occult art or a fool's errand. But these unusual pictures challenge our understanding of early modern alchemy-and of the deeper relationship between chemical workshops and the artists who represented them. The work of artists, like the work of alchemists, contained intellectual-creative and manual-material aspects. Both alchemists and artists claimed a special status owing to their creative powers. Wijck's formation of an artistic and professional identity around alchemical themes reveals his desire to explore this curious territory, and ultimately to demonstrate art's superior claims to knowledge and mastery over nature. This book explores one artist's transformation of alchemy and its materials into a reputation for virtuosity-and what his work can teach us about the experimental early modern world.--, Provided by publisher

resource.variantTitle

Early modern artistry and experiment in the work of Thomas Wijck

Creator