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Mortar (Fragment) and Pestle (possibly 17th Century). Probably Northern Netherlands. Glass. Mortar: H. 10.2 cm (4 in.); Pestle: 13 cm (5.1 in.). Corning Museum of Glass. |
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| Goblet with Lion Hunting Scene (1650-70). Southern Netherlands. Glass. 12.2 x 30.5 cm (4.8 x 12 in.). Corning Museum of Glass. |
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| David Teniers the Younger (Flemish, 1610-1690). Interior of a Laboratory with an Alchemist (Alchemist in His Workshop) (ca. 1650). 71.1 x 87.6 cm (28 x 34.5 in.). Image courtesy of Roy Eddlerman, Chemical Heritage Foundation Collection. Photograph by Will Brown. |
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| Pieter Bruegel the Younger (Flemish, 1565-1636). The Alchemist (undated). Oil on panel. 67.1 x 82.6 x 1.2 cm (26.4 x 32.5 x 3 in.). Private Collection, New York. © IGRAT 2006 LLC. |
Alchemy: Magic, Myth or Science? Exhibition at Bruce Museum
By STAN PARCHIN
September 16, 2009
Alchemy: Magic, Myth or Science?, exclusively at Greenwich, Connecticut's
Bruce Museum from September 26, 2009 to January 3, 2010, uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore the mysterious antecedents of modern chemistry from antiquity to the 17th Century. The exhibition features some 100 paintings, works on paper, documents, mineral specimens and scientific instruments assembled from museums, libraries and private collections. A hallmark of the installation is a life-sized recreation of an early laboratory, a display inspired by
Alchemist in His Workshop (ca. 1650) by Flemish painter David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690).
From ancient times, alchemy played an integral role in man's understanding of the universe. Going back some 2500 years, Greek, Indian and Chinese philosophers sought to comprehend the physical properties of matter and how to transform it. Their fascination with the processes of grape fermentation and ore smelting inspired the discipline of alchemy. Brought to medieval Europe by North African Muslims and scorned by Christian academicians, the inexact science sought to turn base metals into gold. While the alchemists' attempts failed, their careful observations laid the foundation for the basic principles of chemistry.
The Bruegels and Alchemy
Often the focus of scholarly derision, the alchemist's vain efforts were vividly described in detailed Dutch and Flemish Renaissance genre paintings and prints. Chief among these visual representations is The Alchemist, an undated oil on panel painting by Pieter Bruegel the Younger (1565-1636). The work caricatures a morally degenerate scientist ruining his family's life through worthless attempts to obtain material wealth as a result of his futile experiments. The subject was near and dear to the Netherlandish artist's father, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525/30-1569), as can be seen in his remarkably similar pen and brown ink drawing of the same name, questionably dated to 1558 and regrettably not in this presentation.
The Alchemist's Laboratory
Alchemy: Magic, Myth or Science? brings together rare scientific vessels employed in distillation, on loan from New York's Corning Museum of Glass, the University of Pennsylvania Library and Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art. Their use by an early modern European scientist is illustrated in the painting An Alchemist Studying at Night (1648) by David Rijckaert III (1612-1661). The Flemish work incorporates an hourglass and human skull, memento mori that symbolize the transient nature of man's life as well as his endeavors.
Perfume
Porcelain, dyes, pigments, gunpowder, acids, medicines and scents were developed and refined in the alchemists' rudimentary laboratories. During the Renaissance, European aristocrats compensated for their lack of personal hygiene with the experimenters' perfumes. The exhibition features a copy of The Secrets of Signora Isabella Cortese (1588), a popular Venetian book that lists homemade recipes (some poisonous) for disappearing ink, breath fresheners, cosmetics and fragrances. The show's interactive stations enable visitors to explore the chemistry of perfume. Pharmaceutical jars, scent bottles and porcelain cups from China, Germany and France round out the intriguing display.
Sources
Ajmar-Wollheim, Marta, Flora Dennis (eds.), et al. At Home in Renaissance Italy (exh. cat.). London: The Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2006, 174-187.
Orenstein, Nadine M. (ed)., at al. Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Drawings and Prints (exh. cat.). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001, 170-174.
Roberts-Jones, Philippe and Françoise. Pieter Bruegel. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 2002, 36-37.
