Jack, a must read on the origins of the ideology of alchemy is:
"The Forge & The Crucible - The Orgins and Structures of Alchemy" by
religious historian Mircea Eliade, Univ. of Chicago Press.
 
Through a cornucopia of ethnological, anthropological, and folklore
sources Eliade explicates the spiritual mind of the Alchemist (including
Sir Issac Newton). I have a hunch that this might help you in
interpreting art.
 
Best Wishes,
 
Dave
 
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On Mon, 21 Nov 1994, Jacky Ridley wrote:
 
> Hi - is anyone out there interested in discussing topics relevant to art
> history?  I am soon going to start my Ph.D research on the influence of
> alchemy on artists of the northern renaissance - anyone have any interesting
> sources,citations for me?  thanks - Jacky
> Jacky Ridley, MLIS student
> Graduate School of Library and Information Science
> Elborn College, University of Western Ontario,
> London, Ont. Canada N6G 1H1
> email: [log in to unmask]
>