manuel cohen

Oratory ceiling, Hotel Lallemant, Bourges, France

Winged cherub urinating into a clog, representing the process in alchemy of washing the mercury with urine, one of the first phases of creation of the philosopher's stone, from the coffered ceiling of the Oratory, carved in stone with 30 sections, each relating to a process in alchemy, in the Hotel Lallemant, a mansion built 1495-1518 in French Renaissance style by the Lallemant merchant family, in Bourges, Centre Val de Loire, France. The sculptural decoration on the building, made by both French and Italian sculptors, has been interpreted by Fulcanelli and others as having an alchemical symbolism. Since 1951 the building has housed the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and it was listed as a historic monument in 1840. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Image Size: 4370x4634 / 5.9MB; www.manuelcohen.com; 1495-1518 15th century 16th century alchemical alchemist alchemy alchimie architectural detail Berry Bourges carved ceiling Centre Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire Cher cherub clog coffered color colour detail Europe European France French Fulcanelli heritage historic monument history Hotel Lallemant house image indoors inside interior interpretation l'hotel Lallemant Lallemand Lallemant Lallemant family Loire looking up manor house mansion mercury monument historique Musee des Arts Decoratifs museum mystery oratory philosophers stone process relief Renaissance sculptural detail section shoe square image stone symbol symbolism urinating urine view from below washing Western Europe Western European wing
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Winged cherub urinating into a clog, representing the process in alchemy of washing the mercury with urine, one of the first phases of creation of the philosopher's stone, from the coffered ceiling of the Oratory, carved in stone with 30 sections, each relating to a process in alchemy, in the Hotel Lallemant, a mansion built 1495-1518 in French Renaissance style by the Lallemant merchant family, in Bourges, Centre Val de Loire, France. The sculptural decoration on the building, made by both French and Italian sculptors, has been interpreted by Fulcanelli and others as having an alchemical symbolism. Since 1951 the building has housed the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and it was listed as a historic monument in 1840. Picture by Manuel Cohen