Alchemist or magician at work

Date18th century

This painting depicts an alchemist or magician at work. In his workshop, with his cat at his feet, the alchemist has conjured up a host of demons, presumably by means of the glowing stone he holds before him. Alchemy and other magical arts were widely practiced in the Middle Ages and the early modern world, in Islamic territories and beyond. The boundaries between magic and science were not as well defined then as they are today, and people from all levels of society sought aid from the natural and supernatural worlds in their daily lives. Astrologers, for example, were held in high esteem and were consulted by rulers to determine auspicious days and times to undertake activities such as initiating military campaigns, founding cities and scheduling royal weddings.

Object number40.38

Provenance[Mr. S. Craig Preston]; purchased from Mr. Preston by Seattle Art Museum (Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection), January 5, 1940

Photo CreditPhoto: Paul Macapia

Exhibition HistoryParis, France, Petit Palais, "7000 Ans d'Art en Iran (7000 Years of Art in Iran)," 1961 (Circuit 1962-63: Essen, Germany, Villa Hugel; Den Haag, Netherlands, Gemeente-Museum; Zurich, Switzerland, Kunsthaus; Vienna, Austria, Osterreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst; Milan, Italy, Palazzo Reale Rome, Palazzo Brancaccio, "Exhibition of Iranian Art," 1956Published ReferencesAl Khemir, Sabiha. "Light / Nur: Light in Art and Science from the Islamic World." Seville, Spain: Focus-Abengoa Foundation in association with Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2013, p. 186, illus. fig. 131, p. 187 Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 2, Dec. 1988, illus. on cover Seattle Art Museum Engagement Book, 1968, illus. May 19-25 "7000 Anni d'Arte Iranica." Milan: Palazzo Reale, 1963, p. 183, no. 627 "Kunstschatze aus Iran." Vienna: Osterreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, 1963, no. 689 "7000 Jahre Kunst in Iran." Essen: Villa Hugel, 1962, no. 598 Nakai, Ghods. Sept Mille Ans d'Art en Iran. Paris: Petit Palais, 1961; p. 198, no. 1110. "Mostra d'arte Iranica (Exhibition of Iranian Art)." Rome: Palazzo Brancaccio, 1956, p. 280, no. 526, pl. XCV Hambis, Louis. "The Ancient Civilizations of Manchuria," in East and West, Vol. 7, No. 3 (October 1956), pp. 218-228, illus. p. 228

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions7 15/16 x 5 9/16 in. (20.2 x 14.2 cm)

MediumOpaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper