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A characteristically comic and satirical work, this painting shows an alchemist hunched and staring into space, like one driven mad by his research, oblivious to the poverty of his surroundings. He is prematurely aged by obsession, in contrast to the despairing young wife and child pictured in the background. Two stock visual emblems, to which the woman draws our attention, underline the narrative: empty money bags suspended from the ceiling together with a bloated bladder symbolizing delusion. The folly of the alchemist’s quest is further emphasized by the inclusion of two common theatrical stooges, the hunchback and the boor. Although one of goals of alchemy was to change base metal into gold, Steen’s alchemist has grown old, poor and blind in his pursuit of his aim.
Title
The Village Alchemist
Date
early 1660s
Medium
oil on oak panel
Measurements
H 41.7 x W 29.8 cm
Accession number
P209
Acquisition method
acquired by Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford by 1833; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897
Work type
Painting
The Wallace Collection
Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England
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