manuel cohen

Oratory ceiling, Hotel Lallemant, Bourges, France

Winged cherub with a pilgrim's staff, representing the difficult path of alchemy - the staff is a symbol of masculinity and overcoming dangers, protecting the bearer, 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 staff can also represent the alembic or alchemical still. 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: 4399x4724 / 6.1MB; www.manuelcohen.com; 1495-1518 15th century 16th century alchemical alchemist alchemy alchimie alembic architectural detail Berry Bourges carved ceiling Centre Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire Cher cherub coffered color colour danger 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 masculinity monument historique Musee des Arts Decoratifs museum mystery oratory phylactery pilgrim process protection relief Renaissance scroll sculptural detail section square image staff still stone symbol symbolism view from below Western Europe Western European wing
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Winged cherub with a pilgrim's staff, representing the difficult path of alchemy - the staff is a symbol of masculinity and overcoming dangers, protecting the bearer, 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 staff can also represent the alembic or alchemical still. 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