The Alchemist 

Edmund Dulac made this illustration, likely in the early 20th century, using watercolor and ink on paper. Dulac’s choice of materials is intriguing because they are so closely associated with both fine art and commercial illustration. The delicate washes of color create a sense of depth and atmosphere, while the crisp ink lines add a touch of precision and detail. Look at the glass vessels, rendered with translucent luminosity. The books, with their hand-lettered pages. The entire composition seems steeped in the labour of careful crafting. Alchemy itself was a kind of proto-chemistry, pursued by scholars who sought to transmute base metals into gold, or discover the elixir of life. It was a practice rooted in both meticulous observation and a degree of faith. In this image, Dulac seems to be suggesting that there is a kind of magic in the making of art itself – a transformation of the ordinary into the extraordinary. This invites us to reconsider the value we place on artistic skill, and to recognize the social and cultural significance of labor.