Splendor Solis
Encyclopedia
Splendor Solis is a well-known colorful alchemical
manuscript. The earliest version, written in Central German
, is dated 1532–1535 and is housed at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
at State Museums
in Berlin
. It is illuminated on vellum, with decorative borders like a book of hours
, beautifully painted and heightened with gold. The later copies in London
, Kassel
, Paris
and Nuremberg
are equally fine. In all twenty copies exist worldwide.
The original of Splendor Solis which contained seven chapters appeared in Augsburg
. In miniatures the works of Albrecht Dürer
, Hans Holbein
and Lucas Cranach
were used. The author of the manuscript was considered to be a legendary Salomon Trismosin, allegedly the teacher of Paracelsus
. The work itself consists of a sequence of 22 elaborate images, set in ornamental borders and niches. The symbolic process shows the classical alchemical death and rebirth of the king, and incorporates a series of seven flask
s, each associated with one of the planets. Within the flasks a process is shown involving the transformation of bird and animal symbols into the Queen and King, the white and the red tincture
. Although the style of the Splendor Solis illuminations suggest an earlier date, they are quite clearly of the 16th century.
, in London
, with shelf mark Harley MS 3469.
In the words of the art historian Jörg Völlnagel, “the Splendor Solis is by no means a laboratory manual, a kind of recipe book for alchemists. Rather,Splendor Solis sets forth the philosophy of alchemy, a world view according to which the human being (the alchemist) exists and acts in harmony with nature, respecting divine creation and at the same time intervening in the process underlying that creation, all the while supporting its growth with the help of alchemy”1.
As regards the contents, the alchemy historian Thomas Hofmeier comments that “Splendor Solis is the quintessence of preceding florilegia, which for their part are distillates of earlier works still." The same author also points out that “The magnificent manuscripts of Splendor Solis are the crowning glory of any comprehensive alchemical library, or so the historian of alchemy imagines. Standing and lying in the shelves and cabinets all around are the works of the great alchemists amassed over a lifetime. But in the middle upon a lectern presides Splendor Solis, the pinnacle of alchemical expertise”.2
Whatever the reason, Splendor Solis has become the classic illustrated manuscript on alchemy. Many are those who have pored over it, including scholars such as William Butler Yeats
, James Joyce
and Umberto Eco
. The volume features 22 large paintings, surrounded by floral or animal motifs, belonging to the North-European style of Renaissance miniature. Like the context and the contents of the book itself, all the illustrations are impenetrable and difficult to understand.
Particularly noteworthy are the glass flasks depicted in a lavish painting in the centre, surrounded by town and country scenes typical of late medieval Germany
beneath a celestial image of a pagan god that endows the whole page with unity and meaning.
As for the history of the codex itself, Baron Böttger
, the famous pharmacist and great adept of alchemy who invented the porcelain manufacturing method, was apparently one of its owners in the 17th century. It subsequently entered the private library of the Harleys, a powerful family of aristocrats, whose manuscript collection was subsequently acquired by the British Library for the now derisory sum of 10,000 pounds. Splendor Solis is now considered to be one of the British Museum
’s most valuable treasures.
In 2010, the Spanish publishing house M. Moleiro Editor
brought out the first and only facsimile edition of Splendor Solis, a deluxe edition limited to 987 copies with a companion volume featuring the study in which Jörg Völlnagel demonstrates for the first time that the attribution of the text to Salomon Trismosin, the master of Paracelsus, is incorrect. The study also includes the first reliable translation of the text of the manuscript by Joscelyn Godwin
.
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
manuscript. The earliest version, written in Central German
Central German
Central German is a group of High German dialects spoken from the Rhineland in the west to the former eastern territories of Germany.-History:...
, is dated 1532–1535 and is housed at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
The Kupferstichkabinett, or Museum of Prints and Drawings, is a prints museum in Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Berlin State Museums, and is located in the Kulturforum on Potsdamer Platz...
at State Museums
Berlin State Museums
The Berlin State Museums, in German Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, are a group of museums in Berlin, Germany overseen by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and funded by the German federal government in collaboration with Germany's federal states...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. It is illuminated on vellum, with decorative borders like a book of hours
Book of Hours
The book of hours was a devotional book popular in the later Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and...
, beautifully painted and heightened with gold. The later copies in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
are equally fine. In all twenty copies exist worldwide.
The original of Splendor Solis which contained seven chapters appeared in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. In miniatures the works of Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
, Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
and Lucas Cranach
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder , was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving...
were used. The author of the manuscript was considered to be a legendary Salomon Trismosin, allegedly the teacher of Paracelsus
Paracelsus
Paracelsus was a German-Swiss Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist....
. The work itself consists of a sequence of 22 elaborate images, set in ornamental borders and niches. The symbolic process shows the classical alchemical death and rebirth of the king, and incorporates a series of seven flask
Laboratory flask
Laboratory flasks are vessels which fall into the category of laboratory equipment known as glassware. In laboratory and other scientific settings, they are usually referred to simply as flasks...
s, each associated with one of the planets. Within the flasks a process is shown involving the transformation of bird and animal symbols into the Queen and King, the white and the red tincture
Tincture
A tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-volatile substance . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60%...
. Although the style of the Splendor Solis illuminations suggest an earlier date, they are quite clearly of the 16th century.
The Harley 3469 Splendor Solis
This illuminated manuscript of Splendor Solis text is considered to be the most magnificent treatise on alchemy ever made. The codex, dated 1582, is housed in the British LibraryBritish Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with shelf mark Harley MS 3469.
In the words of the art historian Jörg Völlnagel, “the Splendor Solis is by no means a laboratory manual, a kind of recipe book for alchemists. Rather,Splendor Solis sets forth the philosophy of alchemy, a world view according to which the human being (the alchemist) exists and acts in harmony with nature, respecting divine creation and at the same time intervening in the process underlying that creation, all the while supporting its growth with the help of alchemy”1.
As regards the contents, the alchemy historian Thomas Hofmeier comments that “Splendor Solis is the quintessence of preceding florilegia, which for their part are distillates of earlier works still." The same author also points out that “The magnificent manuscripts of Splendor Solis are the crowning glory of any comprehensive alchemical library, or so the historian of alchemy imagines. Standing and lying in the shelves and cabinets all around are the works of the great alchemists amassed over a lifetime. But in the middle upon a lectern presides Splendor Solis, the pinnacle of alchemical expertise”.2
Whatever the reason, Splendor Solis has become the classic illustrated manuscript on alchemy. Many are those who have pored over it, including scholars such as William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco Knight Grand Cross is an Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose , an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
. The volume features 22 large paintings, surrounded by floral or animal motifs, belonging to the North-European style of Renaissance miniature. Like the context and the contents of the book itself, all the illustrations are impenetrable and difficult to understand.
Particularly noteworthy are the glass flasks depicted in a lavish painting in the centre, surrounded by town and country scenes typical of late medieval Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
beneath a celestial image of a pagan god that endows the whole page with unity and meaning.
As for the history of the codex itself, Baron Böttger
Johann Friedrich Böttger
Johann Friedrich Böttger was a Germanalchemist.He was generally acknowledged as the inventor of European porcelain although more recent sources ascribe this to Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus...
, the famous pharmacist and great adept of alchemy who invented the porcelain manufacturing method, was apparently one of its owners in the 17th century. It subsequently entered the private library of the Harleys, a powerful family of aristocrats, whose manuscript collection was subsequently acquired by the British Library for the now derisory sum of 10,000 pounds. Splendor Solis is now considered to be one of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
’s most valuable treasures.
In 2010, the Spanish publishing house M. Moleiro Editor
M. Moleiro Editor
M. Moleiro Editor is a publishing house specialised in identical facsimile reproductions of codices, maps and illuminated manuscripts. Founded in Barcelona in 1991, the firm’s dissemination of many masterpieces in the history of illumination and the great accuracy of its reproductions have made it...
brought out the first and only facsimile edition of Splendor Solis, a deluxe edition limited to 987 copies with a companion volume featuring the study in which Jörg Völlnagel demonstrates for the first time that the attribution of the text to Salomon Trismosin, the master of Paracelsus, is incorrect. The study also includes the first reliable translation of the text of the manuscript by Joscelyn Godwin
Joscelyn Godwin
Joscelyn Godwin is a composer, musicologist and translator, known for his work on ancient music, paganism and music in the occult....
.