The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus
Joseph Wright of Derby · 1771
The story
The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus is a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby originally completed in 1771 then reworked in 1795. The full title of the painting is 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. It has been suggested that The Alchymist refers to the discovery of phosphorus by the Hamburg alchemist Hennig Brand in 1669. This story was often printed in popular chemical books in Wright's lifetime, and was widely known.
- Artist
- Joseph Wright of Derby
- Date
- 1771
- Collection
- Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom
- Medium
- oil paint, canvas
- Size
- 127 × 101.6 cm
Story adapted from the Wikipedia article and its contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.
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