Painting > Elementa Chemicae Triptych

# 21, The state of putrefactions: here the four elements separate and the soul emerges from the body. The descending bird indicates that the distillate must be repeatedly poured on to the physical residue

# 22, The blackness of purification (nigredo) is purified by Azoth, the living spirit, which is extracted from the quicksilver

# 48, # 49, The elements are united and the Work completed at this stage.