Scientific illustration c. 16th century

Editor: This anonymous scientific illustration from Harvard Art Museums depicts alchemical apparatus. It feels so cryptic and labyrinthine. What secrets do you think this imagery is trying to reveal? Curator: The winding glasswork suggests a journey, almost like a visual metaphor for the alchemical process itself, doesn't it? Perhaps these early scientists hoped that knowledge was on the other side of the maze. Editor: That makes me think about our own scientific quests and the circuitous paths we sometimes take to discovery. Thanks for making it more human! Curator: My pleasure! It’s a reminder that every image, even a scientific one, speaks to something deeper.