Axial Commons Image Treasury
Hand-painted manuscript page with alchemical scenes: a brick furnace with flames and smoke, glass flasks labeled distillatio, and two figures in a landscape.

Thesaurus thesaurorum: alchemical manuscript page

A hand-painted manuscript page showing alchemical scenes in three panels: two figures, one nude, meet in a landscape above a brick furnace with flames and smoke, and below, glass vessels labeled distillatio. Ink and watercolor on paper, with handwritten inscriptions above, the page is hand-colored in the style of early modern alchemical manuscripts.

Artist
Unknown
Date
[1725?]
Medium
Manuscripts
Source
Wellcome Collection
Size
2571 × 4000 px
Download full size
Public domain · Wellcome Collection marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1735.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Wellcome Collection)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Wellcome Collection

More from Alchemy and Hidden Wisdom

ApenspelApenspelTwo alchemists seeming to produce gold from a furnace; the accompanying text satirises those who pursue alchemy for gold alone. Engraving by C. Weigel, 1698.Two alchemists seeming to produce gold from a furnace; the accompanying text satirises thoThe historie of foure-footed beastes. : Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in theircreation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day / By Edward Topsell.The historie of foure-footed beastes. : Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beaD.O.M.A. Alchymia Andreae Libavii, recognita, emendata, et aucta, tum dogmatibus et experimentis nonnullis; tum commentario medico physico-chymico: qui exornatus est variis instrumentorum chymicorum picturis; partim aliunde translatis, partim planè novis ... : praemissa defensione artis opposita censurae Parisianae.D.O.M.A. Alchymia Andreae Libavii, recognita, emendata, et aucta, tum dogmatibus et experiSubtle the alchemist, posing as an astrologer, being visited by Abel Drugger, in Ben Jonson's 'The alchemist'. Engraving by C. Grignion, 1791, after J. Graham.Subtle the alchemist, posing as an astrologer, being visited by Abel Drugger, in Ben JonsoThe actor Dodd as Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson's 'The alchemist'. Engraving by J. Thornthwaite after S. de Wilde.The actor Dodd as Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson's 'The alchemist'. Engraving by J. Thornthwai