ALCHEMY - GOLD-MAKING - OEDIPUS - SPHINX. [Left] Titlepage of Johann Joachim Becher, Oedipus Chimicus, 1664. The graphic play with the title may be seen in the detail through the open door: Oedipus, with the staff or caduceus of Mercury, is confronted by the human-headed Sphinx. In continuous narrative, above, the Sphinx plunges from the cliff, because Oedipus has been able to answer her question (about the nature of Man). The mythological allusion is, of course, to Becher and Mercury, in the foreground: the alchemist is working with Mercury to answer the riddle of the Universe. [Right]
ALCHEMY - GOLD-MAKING - OEDIPUS - SPHINX. [Left] Titlepage of Johann Joachim Becher, Oedipus Chimicus, 1664. The graphic play with the title may be seen in the detail through the open door: Oedipus, with the staff or caduceus of Mercury, is confronted by the human-headed Sphinx. In continuous narrative, above, the Sphinx plunges from the cliff, because Oedipus has been able to answer her question (about the nature of Man). The mythological allusion is, of course, to Becher and Mercury, in the foreground: the alchemist is working with Mercury to answer the riddle of the Universe. [Right] Engraving, from Becher's book, of a medal, Divina Metamorphosis, minted from gold made by alchemical means, and exhibited in Prague on 15 January in 1648. The figure depicted on the medal is Apollo, the Sun-God. Becher (1635-1682) was an alchemist and physician, whose marriage to the daughter of an Imperial Counsellor gave me much social freedom: he became Court physician and mathematician to the Elector of Bavaria, and later Counsellor to Emperor Leopold (himself an alchemist). He died in London.
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Keywords: -, alchemy, archival, archive, art, artistic, artwork, becher, chimicus, esoterica, gold-making, historic, historical, history, illustration, image, joachim, johann, mono, oedipus, paranormal, sphinx., titlepage
