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 =:|\Pinnacle Online - Open and dynamic Internet services:= =:|o\. | | | ______ := =:|_/||\ ||\ | |\.| __ | Voice: 804/498.3889 email: [log in to unmask]:= =:| || \|| \| o | \| \_ .| Data: 804/498.9762 login: guest or new := 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] >