131:, which could turn ordinary metal into gold, but instead, to his amazement, he discovers phosphorus. However, Wright does not picture the alchemist in a 17th-century background, but he romanticises the room by imagining medieval gothic arches and high, pointed windows as if he is in a church. He also gave a very favourable impression of the actual process, which involves the reduction by boiling of urine. A 1730 description of the manufacture of phosphorus described the need for 50 or 60 pails of urine that was both putrid and "bred worms".
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Since its exhibition in 1771, the picture has provoked many contradictory interpretations. Its mystery disturbed 18th-century viewers, and although Wright was an internationally recognised artist, the painting was not sold when he first exhibited it. The picture travelled with Wright to Italy in
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176:, that he had a strong influence on the design. His sketch of 4 February 1771 shows the vaulting and the layout of the painting, with the glass container as its focus. It is Burdett who says where to place the figure in the painting, and Burdett had already referred Wright to
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The
Alchymist, in Search of the Philosopher's Stone, Discovers Phosphorus, and prays for the successful Conclusion of his operation, as was the custom of the Ancient Chymical Astrologers
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Wright also gives religious connotations to the painting. The alchemist kneels in front of a shining vessel, stretching out his hands in a similar gesture to that used by
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compares his posture to that of one of Christ's disciples receiving communion. He believes that the layout of the painting may have been taken from
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1773–1775, came back to
England, was reworked in 1795, but was only sold four years after his death, when his possessions were auctioned at
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in 1669. This story was often printed in popular chemical books in Wright's lifetime, and was widely known.
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originally completed in 1771 then reworked in 1795. The full title of the painting is
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so that Wright might fully understand the underlying science in the painting.
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127 cm × 101.6 cm (50 in × 40.0 in)
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241:"The Alchymist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone (Exhibited 1771)"
215:"Light and Enlightenment in Joseph Wright of Derby's The Alchymist"
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The picture shows the alchemist trying to produce the elusive
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430:Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight
346:Joseph Wright of Derby: painter of light, Volume 1
954:Miravan Breaking Open the Tomb of his Ancestors
486:Miravan Breaking Open the Tomb of his Ancestors
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1384:Collection of Derby Museum and Art Gallery
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454:Two Girls Dressing a Kitten by Candlelight
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861:Gen. Johnson Saving Officer from Tomahawk
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446:An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump
243:. Revolutionary Players. Archived from
202:
933:A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
438:A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
7:
961:The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus
518:Vesuvius from Posillipo by Moonlight
470:The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus
88:The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus
24:The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus
1379:Paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby
16:Painting by Joseph Wright of Derby
14:
1113:Derby Racecourse Roman settlement
272:. Cengage Learning. p. 122.
154:St Francis receiving the Stigmata
947:Romeo and Juliet: the Tomb Scene
542:Romeo and Juliet: the Tomb Scene
29:
1209:British Rail Research Division
294:"Art treasure – The Alchymist"
1:
926:Grotto in the Gulf of Salerno
502:Grotto in the Gulf of Salerno
101:. It has been suggested that
1181:Whitehurst & Son sundial
648:Derby Museum and Art Gallery
606:Derby Museum and Art Gallery
266:Whitten, Kenneth W. (2007).
75:Derby Museum and Art Gallery
1214:Derby Philosophical Society
343:Nicolson, Benedict (1968).
217:. ReoCities. Archived from
105:refers to the discovery of
1415:
1204:Andrew Handyside & Co.
1128:Heath Wood barrow cemetery
989:A Philosopher by Lamplight
814:Bonnie Prince Charlie Room
462:A Philosopher by Lamplight
1332:
1052:Chelsea porcelain factory
888:William Richardson Linton
28:
1108:Strutt's Park Roman fort
662:Francis Leggatt Chantrey
349:. Taylor & Francis.
1350:Pickford's House Museum
1280:Sir George Harpur Crewe
1219:Derby Exhibition (1839)
1162:Science and engineering
1255:6th Duke of Devonshire
911:paintings and drawings
830:9th/12th Royal Lancers
752:Joseph Wright of Derby
403:Joseph Wright of Derby
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93:Joseph Wright of Derby
42:Joseph Wright of Derby
1394:Fiction about alchemy
975:The Blacksmith's Shop
534:Dovedale by Moonlight
478:The Blacksmith's Shop
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1098:Creswellian culture
1035:Vesuvius in Eruption
893:William Hunt Painter
768:Ashford Black Marble
677:Derby Sketching Club
561:Vesuvius in Eruption
1077:William Billingsley
845:Francis O. Grenfell
300:on 23 December 2010
174:Peter Perez Burdett
158:St Jerome in Prayer
129:Philosopher's stone
1123:Great Heathen Army
692:Count Holtzendorff
667:Ernest Ellis Clark
572:(1779, 1782, 1785)
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1320:Charles Sylvester
1285:Llewellynn Jewitt
1176:Benjamin Vulliamy
1067:Pinxton Porcelain
1062:Royal Crown Derby
919:Richard Arkwright
702:Alfred John Keene
697:Richard Hurleston
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221:on 4 October 2012
162:Benedict Nicolson
91:is a painting by
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1305:5th Earl Ferrers
1275:Alfred E. Goodey
1194:
1082:William Duesbury
1010:The Captive King
982:The Earthstopper
898:Joseph Whittaker
823:Military history
707:Henry Lark Pratt
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494:The Earthstopper
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1300:Joseph Pickford
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1138:Duffield Castle
1118:Hanson Log Boat
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1057:Derby Porcelain
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168:'s painting (
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139:The Alchemist
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103:The Alchymist
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1265:Arthur Keily
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1143:Icknield St.
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840:Robert Kells
793:White Watson
737:William Tate
732:Thomas Smith
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298:the original
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245:the original
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223:. Retrieved
219:the original
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166:Thomas Wijck
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143:Thomas Wijck
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117:Hennig Brand
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1245:D'Ewes Coke
1003:The Captive
996:Samuel Ward
850:David Rushe
717:Ronald Pope
712:David Payne
564:(1773-1775)
510:The Captive
123:Description
1373:Categories
1290:John Lombe
1148:The Street
1028:Ann Borrow
783:Matlockite
773:John Farey
422:Ann Borrow
362:2 February
197:References
191:Christie's
107:phosphorus
63:Dimensions
1103:Derventio
1045:Porcelain
788:John Mawe
529:(1783/84)
465:(c. 1769)
457:(c. 1768)
425:(1762–63)
410:Paintings
269:Chemistry
114:alchemist
1017:Dovedale
580:Drawings
225:26 April
150:El Greco
71:Location
1235:Alkmund
1190:Related
761:Geology
655:Artists
599:Museums
184:History
111:Hamburg
109:by the
53: (
1228:People
591:(1772)
553:Series
545:(1790)
537:(1784)
521:(1774)
513:(1774)
505:(1774)
497:(1773)
489:(1772)
481:(1771)
473:(1771)
449:(1768)
441:(1766)
433:(1765)
353:
276:
38:Artist
304:1 May
251:1 May
79:Derby
1026:and
420:and
364:2016
351:ISBN
306:2011
274:ISBN
253:2011
227:2011
170:left
55:1771
51:1771
48:Year
156:or
141:by
1375::
205:^
193:.
160:.
77:,
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1340:(
640:e
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255:.
229:.
57:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
