An alchemist hunched over his crucible; an assistant reads him a recipe, watched by an onlooker; the alchemist's wife weeps in the dim background, a baby clasped to her breast. Coloured lithograph by Bouvier, 1830, after J. Steen.

  • Steen, Jan, 1626-1679.
Date:
January 1830
Reference:
35485i
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About this work

Description

After a painting by Steen known as 'The village alchemist', but with the removal of the weeping wife in the background. Above are suspended herbs, a cucurbite and drying laundry. The alchemist has typical 'bleary eyes' from long sustained efforts of watching his experiment, as described by Thomas Norton in his 'Ordinall of alchemy', 1477

Publication/Creation

London (34 Surry Street, Strand) : A. Friedel ; [Place of publication not identified] : Sold by all the principal book & printsellers in town & country, January 1830.

Physical description

1 print : lithograph, with watercolour

Lettering

The Dutch chymists. Les chymistes hollandois. J. Stein pinxt. Bouvier lith.o

Reference

Wellcome Collection 35485i

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