Lot Essay
As J. Read, The Alchemist in Life, Literature and Art, 1947, p.82, points out, the figure of the alchemist, depicted numerous times by the artist, nearly always has the appearance of an academic. Wijck's alchemists are scholars rather than practical workers, always surrounded by piles of books, globes, birdcages near the window and alligators hanging from the ceiling. All these motifs are depicted in the present lot, which makes it characteristic of Wijck's oeuvre.