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Splendor Solis: The World's Most Famous Alchemical Manuscript
The only high-quality yet affordable edition available of the classic alchemical manuscript Splendor Solis, described as "the most magnificent treatise on alchemy ever made". Includes up-to-date commentary from experts in the field and a modern translation of the 16th-century text.
A magnificent edition of the Splendor Solis for all those interested in alchemy, magic and mysterious manuscripts. Popularly attributed to the legendary figure Salomon Trismosin, the Splendor Solis ('Splendour of the Sun') is the most beautiful alchemical manuscript ever made, with 22 fabulous illustrations rich in allegorical and mystical symbolism. The paintings are given a fitting showcase in this new Watkins edition, which accompanies them with Joscelyn Godwin's excellent contemporary translation of the original 16th-century German text, as well as interpretation from alchemical experts Stephen Skinner and Georgiana Hedesan, and from Rafal T. Prinke, an authority in central and Eastern European esoteric manuscripts. Stephen Skinner explains the symbolism of both the text and the illustrations, suggesting that together they describe the physical process of the alchemical transmutation of base metal into gold. Rafal T. Prinke explains the theories about the authorship of both text and illustrations, discussing Splendor Solis as the turning point in alchemical iconography passing from the medieval tradition to that of the Baroque and the reasons for the misattribution of Splendor Solis to Poysel and Trismosin. Georgiana Hedesan looks at the legendary figure of Salomon Trismosin and his creation by followers of Theophrastus Paracelsus as part of an attempt to integrate their master in a lineage of ancient alchemical philosophers. The images are taken from the British Library manuscript Harley 3469, the finest example of the Splendor Solis to survive.
A magnificent edition of the Splendor Solis for all those interested in alchemy, magic and mysterious manuscripts. Popularly attributed to the legendary figure Salomon Trismosin, the Splendor Solis ('Splendour of the Sun') is the most beautiful alchemical manuscript ever made, with 22 fabulous illustrations rich in allegorical and mystical symbolism. The paintings are given a fitting showcase in this new Watkins edition, which accompanies them with Joscelyn Godwin's excellent contemporary translation of the original 16th-century German text, as well as interpretation from alchemical experts Stephen Skinner and Georgiana Hedesan, and from Rafal T. Prinke, an authority in central and Eastern European esoteric manuscripts. Stephen Skinner explains the symbolism of both the text and the illustrations, suggesting that together they describe the physical process of the alchemical transmutation of base metal into gold. Rafal T. Prinke explains the theories about the authorship of both text and illustrations, discussing Splendor Solis as the turning point in alchemical iconography passing from the medieval tradition to that of the Baroque and the reasons for the misattribution of Splendor Solis to Poysel and Trismosin. Georgiana Hedesan looks at the legendary figure of Salomon Trismosin and his creation by followers of Theophrastus Paracelsus as part of an attempt to integrate their master in a lineage of ancient alchemical philosophers. The images are taken from the British Library manuscript Harley 3469, the finest example of the Splendor Solis to survive.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1582
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 10, 2022
An absolutely gorgeous book, with excellent essays about the origins of the Splendor Solis manuscript, and the Medieval and Renaissance alchemical ideas that influenced its creation. The break down of each plate gives a clear look into alchemical imagery/symbology and the practical aspects of the alchemical process.
January 13, 2020
The Splendor Solis was a 16th century Alchemical text. This is a modern new translation with commentaries by academics. Dr. Stephen Skinner is familiar to me in relation to esoteric material, so I found this very interesting.
It's very much an academic work, so of most interest to people with an interest either in ancient Alchemy or in the history of esoteric texts. It is, as one reviewer said, basically a biography of the book, but I would add a fascinating analysis of hidden meanings in the 22 color plates that were originally hand drawn. My advance review copy didn't show these plates, but I found them online as the British Library has a photographed copy.
A bit dry at times, but a very interesting and informative book.
It's very much an academic work, so of most interest to people with an interest either in ancient Alchemy or in the history of esoteric texts. It is, as one reviewer said, basically a biography of the book, but I would add a fascinating analysis of hidden meanings in the 22 color plates that were originally hand drawn. My advance review copy didn't show these plates, but I found them online as the British Library has a photographed copy.
A bit dry at times, but a very interesting and informative book.
March 19, 2019
Pros: in depth discussion, full translation, summaries are useful for quick reference
Cons:
Note: I received a copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley. My copy did not include the manuscript reproduction pages for the illustrations, therefore I cannot comment on the images or their quality.
The book gives the historical background of the Splendor Solis and then a new English translation of the Harley manuscript 3469 version, currently held by the British Library (and viewable online here: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisp... Click on the image below ‘view bindings’ to see the pages).
There is an introduction and four chapters, followed by a glossary of alchemical terms and other alchemical works the Splendor Solis refers to. The chapters are: History and authorship of Splendor Solis, Inventing an alchemical adept: Splendor Solis and the Paracelsian movement, Commentary on the text and plates of Splendor Solis and finally Translation of the Harley manuscript.
The chapter on the history of the manuscript is very scholarly and quite dry. I appreciated that Prinke mentioned the history of scholarship regarding the Splendor Solis, in terms of printed volumes, manuscripts, the illustrations and attempts at discovering the author and illustrators. He even includes recent scholarship on the topics. I was disappointed that there was such a limited discussion on the antecedents of the artworks, the topic that most interested me. Instead of showing examples of where the Splendor Solis’ illustrators received inspiration, he simply offhandedly mentioned the works with little to go in if you’d like to research this topic yourself. When discussing the Aurora Consurgens’s artistic lending he merely cites the page of an English translation that got a 200 copy print run in 2011 and is quite difficult to find. I did find an older reproduction of the Aurora Consurgens online (digitized by Zurich’s Zentralbibliothek https://archive.org/details/AuroraCon...), but Prinke gave so little descriptive information that I found it difficult to identify which images he was comparing.
I really enjoyed the essay on the Paracelsian movement. There was a lot of information here I was unaware of and it was fascinating to learn about.
The next chapter summarizes all of the passages in the manuscript and gives a thorough description of the illustrations and their meanings. It is here that the reproduced manuscript pages are found. The information is in clear language with translations of any text that appears in the images.
I was a little surprised there was a summary of the text followed by a full translation, but the translation’s fairly dense, so it’s actually quite useful to have read the summary and explanation before digging into it. It meant I came away with a much better understanding of what I read.
As stated above, I can’t judge the quality of the images included in this edition, but the text alone is definitely worth the price. It’s a deep dive into the Splendor Solis and a worthwhile addition to your collection if you’re interested in alchemy.
Cons:
Note: I received a copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley. My copy did not include the manuscript reproduction pages for the illustrations, therefore I cannot comment on the images or their quality.
The book gives the historical background of the Splendor Solis and then a new English translation of the Harley manuscript 3469 version, currently held by the British Library (and viewable online here: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisp... Click on the image below ‘view bindings’ to see the pages).
There is an introduction and four chapters, followed by a glossary of alchemical terms and other alchemical works the Splendor Solis refers to. The chapters are: History and authorship of Splendor Solis, Inventing an alchemical adept: Splendor Solis and the Paracelsian movement, Commentary on the text and plates of Splendor Solis and finally Translation of the Harley manuscript.
The chapter on the history of the manuscript is very scholarly and quite dry. I appreciated that Prinke mentioned the history of scholarship regarding the Splendor Solis, in terms of printed volumes, manuscripts, the illustrations and attempts at discovering the author and illustrators. He even includes recent scholarship on the topics. I was disappointed that there was such a limited discussion on the antecedents of the artworks, the topic that most interested me. Instead of showing examples of where the Splendor Solis’ illustrators received inspiration, he simply offhandedly mentioned the works with little to go in if you’d like to research this topic yourself. When discussing the Aurora Consurgens’s artistic lending he merely cites the page of an English translation that got a 200 copy print run in 2011 and is quite difficult to find. I did find an older reproduction of the Aurora Consurgens online (digitized by Zurich’s Zentralbibliothek https://archive.org/details/AuroraCon...), but Prinke gave so little descriptive information that I found it difficult to identify which images he was comparing.
I really enjoyed the essay on the Paracelsian movement. There was a lot of information here I was unaware of and it was fascinating to learn about.
The next chapter summarizes all of the passages in the manuscript and gives a thorough description of the illustrations and their meanings. It is here that the reproduced manuscript pages are found. The information is in clear language with translations of any text that appears in the images.
I was a little surprised there was a summary of the text followed by a full translation, but the translation’s fairly dense, so it’s actually quite useful to have read the summary and explanation before digging into it. It meant I came away with a much better understanding of what I read.
As stated above, I can’t judge the quality of the images included in this edition, but the text alone is definitely worth the price. It’s a deep dive into the Splendor Solis and a worthwhile addition to your collection if you’re interested in alchemy.
Read
March 27, 2019As someone who has recently become fascinated with alchemy, I was excited to read this book. I had not heard of the famous alchemical text 'Splendor Solis' so I was eager to learn more about this elusive piece. This book was a full English translation of 'Splendor Solis' with full colour plates of the artwork included, so it was essentially a concise biography of the manuscript.
'Splendor Solis' was a 16th century piece detailing the Great Work of alchemy- transmuting base materials into the famous Philosopher’s Stone. This book was an in-depth look and modern translation of the original copy. Included was a brief history of 'Splendor Solis,' looking at its revival in the 20th century, and how to properly read this manuscript. Readers should not try to analyze the famous text using psycho-spiritual techniques whereby the scientific and chemical process of alchemy becomes unimportant. I appreciated the authors strong argument for reading 'Splendor Solis' as it is, because at the end of the day, it is a material and physical experience. The history and authorship chapters were fascinating because as with most famous occult texts, the author is unknown. I thought the illustrations of the manuscripts were beautiful and moving and I can understand why it is such an important piece in alchemical history.
Overall as someone fairly new to alchemy, I thought the translations and explanations of the text were fairly easy to understand and I cannot wait to learn more about this beautiful art.
'Splendor Solis' was a 16th century piece detailing the Great Work of alchemy- transmuting base materials into the famous Philosopher’s Stone. This book was an in-depth look and modern translation of the original copy. Included was a brief history of 'Splendor Solis,' looking at its revival in the 20th century, and how to properly read this manuscript. Readers should not try to analyze the famous text using psycho-spiritual techniques whereby the scientific and chemical process of alchemy becomes unimportant. I appreciated the authors strong argument for reading 'Splendor Solis' as it is, because at the end of the day, it is a material and physical experience. The history and authorship chapters were fascinating because as with most famous occult texts, the author is unknown. I thought the illustrations of the manuscripts were beautiful and moving and I can understand why it is such an important piece in alchemical history.
Overall as someone fairly new to alchemy, I thought the translations and explanations of the text were fairly easy to understand and I cannot wait to learn more about this beautiful art.
September 11, 2022
Beautiful book, and apparently the first full-color version within a non-collector’s price range.
I like that it goes into the history of the text, but I think that Skinner goes too far in arguing that it lays out a purely lab-based alchemy. He correctly argues that it has nothing to do with Jungian thinking or the Tarot Major Arcana, however he leaves it there. Later, he will implore the reader to separate the element of mercury from “philosophical Mercury,” hinting that this is not simply a treatise of chemistry. Reading the descriptions, it is very easy to see how the alchemical process could be metaphorically applied to religious and philosophical ideas, sans any of the pseudohistory that he earlier argues against, but he leaves that gap empty.
One wonderful thing that he includes is the full text of the Splendor Solis, which is all-too-ignored and truly grounds the images.
I like that it goes into the history of the text, but I think that Skinner goes too far in arguing that it lays out a purely lab-based alchemy. He correctly argues that it has nothing to do with Jungian thinking or the Tarot Major Arcana, however he leaves it there. Later, he will implore the reader to separate the element of mercury from “philosophical Mercury,” hinting that this is not simply a treatise of chemistry. Reading the descriptions, it is very easy to see how the alchemical process could be metaphorically applied to religious and philosophical ideas, sans any of the pseudohistory that he earlier argues against, but he leaves that gap empty.
One wonderful thing that he includes is the full text of the Splendor Solis, which is all-too-ignored and truly grounds the images.
February 9, 2019
I've been fascinated by alchemy for a long time and my curiosity increased when I read a couple of novel where alchemy plays an important role.
I was more than happy to read a book about alchemy and discover more about this important text.
It's a fascinating and engaging reading that helps to have a better understanding of what alchemy is and what this text is and the meaning of the different illustrations.
I think that this is a book that must be read as a paper book to see the amazing illustrations at best.
Highly recommended if you are curious about alchemy.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
I was more than happy to read a book about alchemy and discover more about this important text.
It's a fascinating and engaging reading that helps to have a better understanding of what alchemy is and what this text is and the meaning of the different illustrations.
I think that this is a book that must be read as a paper book to see the amazing illustrations at best.
Highly recommended if you are curious about alchemy.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
June 11, 2020
A well crafted tome examining the ideas behind alchemy in the middle ages, the possible origins of its history and the authorship. While quite academic in its writing style, and you can learn a fair bit about what this meant during that time, but I was really drawn to the illustrations, good quality paper and binding. A beautiful book for any bibliophile to have on their bookshelf.
March 1, 2022
I was introduced to the art that illustrates this alchemical text through an online prompt and was immediately captivated by its luminous detail, a combinations of everyday life and magical allegory. I got the book out of the library so I could study the art more carefully and get some insight into the meaning of its symbols.
Although the original text is reproduced at the end of the book, I only read the introduction and the commentary for each illustration. The sources for both text and image seem to be a complex combination of alchemical ideas from ancient and contemporary thought, as well as being influenced by Christianity.
Some who study alchemy are primarily interested in its symbolic structure as a method for gaining enlightenment, moving beyond the human limitations of body and mind. Like art and poetry, something that transcends the material world. But the authors of the commentary here want nothing to do with spiritual or psychological interpretations. They take the text and images literally--dismissing both Christian and psychological interpretations, like those of Jung. Because of that literality, the essays mostly failed to hold my interest.
The value of gold is arbitrary, like so many of our measurements and rankings. The Philosopher's Stone seems to me to be merely another fantasy like the Fountain of Youth--one that, if really examined, has no substance beyond vanity. But the images and symbolism of the Splendor Solis are mysterious, and yes, beautiful. They need no gold or promise of eternal life to justify their existence.
Ignore most of the text here, and enjoy the art.
Although the original text is reproduced at the end of the book, I only read the introduction and the commentary for each illustration. The sources for both text and image seem to be a complex combination of alchemical ideas from ancient and contemporary thought, as well as being influenced by Christianity.
Some who study alchemy are primarily interested in its symbolic structure as a method for gaining enlightenment, moving beyond the human limitations of body and mind. Like art and poetry, something that transcends the material world. But the authors of the commentary here want nothing to do with spiritual or psychological interpretations. They take the text and images literally--dismissing both Christian and psychological interpretations, like those of Jung. Because of that literality, the essays mostly failed to hold my interest.
The value of gold is arbitrary, like so many of our measurements and rankings. The Philosopher's Stone seems to me to be merely another fantasy like the Fountain of Youth--one that, if really examined, has no substance beyond vanity. But the images and symbolism of the Splendor Solis are mysterious, and yes, beautiful. They need no gold or promise of eternal life to justify their existence.
Ignore most of the text here, and enjoy the art.
Read
November 19, 2021traces the genealogy of this instruction book for, ostensibly, converting base metals to gold, and includes the full set of paintings and deciphers the riddles in them. The manuscript itself is valuable as a primary document displaying how seriously alchemy was taken and respected during this point in history.
August 30, 2024
alchemy classic
great writer/ researcher /scholar on a classic alchemistical work and one of the greatest works of art, a really great work all around.
great writer/ researcher /scholar on a classic alchemistical work and one of the greatest works of art, a really great work all around.
October 6, 2024
Pictures are cool, but the text is just too scientific to boost interest to this old mystery art
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews