Once considered the ‘science of change’, the work of the pre-modern European alchemists is explored in the exhibition at the Princeton University Library (6 April–17 July). The exhibition considers the golden age of alchemy which ran from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, with a particular focus on the Ripley Scrolls — the 6-metre-long manuscripts which take their name from the English alchemist George Ripley — two of which are now owned by Princeton and are displayed together here for the first time. The exhibition uncovers the hidden meanings and messages contained within the Scrolls intricate illustrations, exploring how these coded manuscripts were used to protect the transmission of alchemical knowledge. Find out more on the Princeton University Library’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here
Leonard Smethley, Ripley Scroll (1624). Courtesy Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Leonard Smethley, Ripley Scroll (1624). Courtesy Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Leonard Smethley, Ripley Scroll (1624). Courtesy Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
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