Paintings

The Alchemist and His Wife

  • Circa 1928

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BY 4.0

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When Chester Fisher commissioned this copy of a painting by David Ryckaert III (1612-1661), in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, it was long assumed that the painting depicted the famous Nicolas Flamel (circa 1340–1418) and his wife Perrenelle, pursuing an alchemical experiment. The Flamels gained a posthumous reputation as alchemists, but their connection with alchemy is now debated. Newer thinking about David Ryckaert III's composition proposes that it is far likelier a genre scene of an anonymous husband-and-wife team practicing alchemy in a domestic setting.

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Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA; Fisher Scientific International Inc., Hampton, NH (commissioned by Chester Fisher directly from the artist ca. 1928).

The Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2000 (from Fisher Scientific).
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  • 24 in. H x 30.75 in. W
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Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

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Hammerer, Jacques. The Alchemist and His Wife. Oil paint (paint), canvas (textile material), circa 1928. Science History Institute. Philadelphia. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/bn999735x.

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