Prima Materia III : The Almebic Painting

“And just as, in Christianity, the Godhead conceals itself in the man of low degree,” “so in the ‘philosophy’ [alchemy] it hides in the uncomely stone.” Carl Jung This is one of a series of pictures based on the the Alchemical theme of Prima Materia. The Prima Materia Pictures were done after seeing alchemical illustrations from the medieval and baroque period in which the the Alchemists alembic is paralleled with the human body. Many years ago, I studied the history of collecting and exploring the inventories of some of the princely European ‘Wunderkammern’ which were once the pride of the cultured and affluent, I was struck by the enthusiasm with which so many bi-products of the interior space of the human body were accumulated, gall stones, kidney stones, blood and bones and teeth, etc.. Mythologies extolling the miraculous properties of these items developed simultaneously presumably adding to their value. At the time my interest began, serious academic studies of Alchemy and Esoterica were nowhere to be found, neither in humanities departments, nor, for that matter, as a part of the history of science. I often wonder how these inventories would be understood now that such areas of enquiry are more acceptable. Here the Alchemists harvest the materials required for 'The Great Work'.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:39 W x 31 H x 1.3 D in

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