A savant in his cabinet, surrounded by chemical and other apparatus, examining a flask. Oil painting by Mattheus van Helmont, 167-.

  • Helmont, Mattheus van, 1623-after 1674.
Reference:
45123i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Available online

view A savant in his cabinet, surrounded by chemical and other apparatus, examining a flask. Oil painting by Mattheus van Helmont, 167-.

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You can use this work for any purpose, including commercial uses, without restriction under copyright law. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. Read more about this licence.

Credit

A savant in his cabinet, surrounded by chemical and other apparatus, examining a flask. Oil painting by Mattheus van Helmont, 167-. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 6 images

About this work

Description

All around the room is scattered a vast quantity of chemical and pharmaceutical apparatus: earthenware vessels, glass vessels, books, pestles and mortars, herbs in bags or hanging in bunches from the ceiling; also naturalia such as a stuffed fish, the skull of a stag, bladders of animals. On the table to right, a statuette of Laocoön (without his sons); on side of furnace, left, a framed painting of two fools wearing foolscaps

Physical description

1 painting : oil on canvas ; canvas 56.8 x 82.5 cm

Lettering

MVH Bears traces of signature, lower right: M V H

References note

W. Schupbach, 'An (al)chemist restored', Friends of the Wellcome Library and Centre newsletter, Winter 2003, no. 31, pp. 6-8
A.A.A.M. Brinkman, De alchemist in de prentkunst, Amsterdam 1982, p. 53 ("formerly [sic] in the Wellcome Historical and Medical Museum and Library at London")

Reference

Wellcome Collection 45123i

Where to find it

  • Location Access
    On Exhibition
    Can't be requested

    Note

Permanent link