Halloween Compilation 2022

Witches in Sixteenth-Century Germany: The belief in witches, what they were accused of and why 'The witch trials demonstrated fear of the power of women’s sexuality. The female witch was understood to be a product of woman’s excessive carnal lust who were affiliated with fornication and orgies with the Devil. This made them more susceptible… Continue reading Halloween Compilation 2022

Demons of David Teniers the Younger’s Alchemists

Keywords: Alchemy, David Teniers the Younger, devil and demons, The Temptations of St. Anthony Alchemy was resisted by both the Catholic and Protestant Church. Protestant reformers in northern Netherlands dealt with the threat by declaring magic as false and inefficacious as the true God could not be manipulated into revealing his secrets of nature (Tambiah,… Continue reading Demons of David Teniers the Younger’s Alchemists

Poverty and the Pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone: Representation of Alchemists in Sixteenth-century Netherlandish Art

Keywords: Alchemy, Alchemist, Netherlands, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Poverty The representation of the alchemist became a particularly popular theme in the art, society, and culture of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century. It reflected both the height of the practice of alchemy, as well as the artistic culture of Netherlandish art during this period. Alchemy’s… Continue reading Poverty and the Pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone: Representation of Alchemists in Sixteenth-century Netherlandish Art