Our captivating, marvelously lit laboratory of an alchemist testifies of the fascination for science and pseudo-science during the 17th century, at the start of our Modern Age. Van Helmont has painted a few other “authentic” depictions of alchemists, but ours is clearly the most evocative.

 

 

Flemish painter

Antwerp 1623 – after 1679 Brussels

 

His first name is sometimes spelled “Matthieu” or “Mattheus”, his last name “van Hellemont” or “Hillemont” (as is the case here).

 

Genre painter of peasant interiors, market scenes and alchemists' s workshops, influenced by David Teniers II (Antwerp 1610 – 1690 Brussels) and by David Ryckaert III (Antwerp 1612 – 1661Antwerp). It is not known whom he studied painting with.

 

His portrait groups ("conversation pieces") are often mistaken for those of Gillis van Tilborgh.

 

As the son of a homonymous, but further unknown painter, van Helmont became Master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in the year 1645-46. He married in 1649; the couple had four children, all four sons.

 

Van Helmont left Antwerp because of a heavy debt burden and settled in Brussels, where he was recorded in the local guild of painters in 1674. Here he collaborated with Jacques d'Arthois, painting figures in his landscape paintings. He remained in Brussels until his death.

 

Two of his children, Jan and Gaspard, became portrait painters.

 

 

Interior scenes representing doctors, alchemists, pharmacists, dentists and quack doctors at work were popular subjects of Dutch and Flemish 17th and 18th century genre scene painters. Their interiors can be recognized by a stuffed fish hanging from the ceiling. Here it is a rather small fish, sometimes it could be a large sturgeon (which in those days still lived in our waters) or even an exotic crocodile or iguana. 

 

Alchemists were usually portrayed in a shabby, chaotic interior packed with scientific instruments, curcibles and alembics, manuscripts and books. The best-known 17th century Baroque painters of alchemists were the Dutchman Thomas Wijck (Beverwijk circa 1616 – 1677 Haarlem)  and the Fleming David Teniers the Younger (Antwerp 1610 – 1690 Brussels). Van Helmont must have painted our work late in his career, when he fell under the influence of Dutch painters, especially of Thomas Wijck. Wijck, who passed away in 1677, had only painted his alchemist interiors during his last years, which coincide with those of our painter.

 

Today one makes a negative interpretation of the research of alchemists, associated with greed, magic, occultism and the creation of gold. But not so the 17th century painters: their alchemists are no fools nor charlatans, but artisanal, scholarly researchers portrayed amidst a disorder of books, letters, recipes, basins, bottles, barrels, glass vials, alembics and vessels.

 

Van Helmont has represented an alchemist who looks surprised at the result of his latest experiment: a flask that he is holding in his right hand. Alchemists tried in vain to change basic metals into gold or to create the elixer of life. Two young assistants appear in the dark, right background. The dramatic play of light and shadow is masterfully handled, with sunlight streaming into this cluttered, mysterious interior through two high windows at left.

 

 

Because van Helmont has payed a lot of attention to successfully evoke in rich warm colours a dimly lit laboratory of an old alchemist engrossed in his scientific, but mystical and vainly research.