Painting > Elementa Chemicae Triptych

# 19, # 20, The state of putrefactions: here the four elements separate and the soul emerges from the body. The ascending bird represents the distillation of the philosophical mercury. The descending bird indicates that the distillate must be repeatedly poured on to the physical residue.

# 46, The final sublimation of the lapis. Here it is represented as a pelican, said to bring its dead young (the base metal) back to life with its own blood (tincture).

# 47, The finial solidification (fixatio) of the lapis, which rises as a phoenix in the flames.