1609 Khunrath / Van der Doort Alchemy Chart

An intriguing and symbolically rich c. 1609 representation of the cosmos as imagined by Heinrich Khunrath, a prominent alchemist and philosopher of the Hermetic tradition. This plate, engraved by Paulus Van der Doort, appeared in Khunrath's Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae, an influential text for later alchemists, natural philosophers, and theologians.

A Closer Look

This untitled plate is often referred to as the 'Cosmic Rose' and is also known as 'the Scheme of Christian Kabbalism' due to the strong influence of Kabbalism on the work. It presents Christ at the center of the sun and the universe, surrounded by a corona and emanating rays, which are themselves surrounded by clouds and text, a reflection of the Hermetic emphasis on correspondence between microcosm and macrocosm. The Latin text reflects Christian theology, namely Christ as the Messiah and son of God (Signo vinces in hoc; vere filius Dei erat ipse; Dominum Deum tuum in toto corde tuo et in tota anima tua et in tota mente tua; et proximum tuum sicut te ipsum). However, most of the text on the plate is in Hebrew, a language few of Khunrath's readers would have been able to decipher. This text includes the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Ten Commandments (the outermost circle), and the Sefirot (attributes or emanations) central to Kabbala (such as 'Truth' אֶמֶת and 'Glory' הוֹד).

The Hebrew text and Kabbalistic concepts reflect the deep influence of Kabbala on Khunrath, an exemplar of 'Christian Kabbala' (Cabala). Like other alchemists, Khunrath sought sources of an overarching or abiding truth in the works of earlier philosophers and mystics, including practitioners of Kabbala. At the same time, according to scholar Katherine Eggert, Khunrath goes out of his way to gradually remove Kabbalistic influence in the course of the Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae to demonstrate the truth (to him) of Christian theology.

Khunrath's Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae

Khunrath's Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom has been dubbed by Denis Duveen, an expert on alchemical texts, 'one of the most important books in the whole literature of theosophical alchemy and the occult sciences.' It is an important link in the history of alchemy and esoteric thought that merges alchemical processes with spiritual and philosophical reflections. Khunrath was influenced by Elizabeth I's court astronomer John Dee (1527 - 1609) and other English alchemists, the Swiss alchemist-physician-philosopher Paracelsus (c. 1493 - 1541), and the pseudonymous Basilius Valentinus. Symbolically rich and filled with references to Christianity and earlier alchemists, the Amphitheatrum provides a guide for striving for spiritual perfection, aided by magic and informed by natural philosophy. Khunrath and other alchemists were influenced by Hermeticism (based on the purported teachings of the mythical ancient figure Hermes Trismegistus), a belief that hidden, divine wisdom could be accessed through both the study of nature and personal spiritual development. His work was influential among Lutherans (which he was himself) and on the continental Rosicrucian movement that developed in the 17th century. In particular, the four original plates outshone the text and became the basis for alchemical images circulating in Europe for decades afterward.

Publication History and Census

This plate was designed by Heinrich Khunrath and engraved by Paulus van der Doort for Khunrath's Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae, first published in 1595. In subsequent printings of the work (most notably in 1609 and 1653), existing plates were modified, and three additional plates were added. The presentation of the plate, as seen here, first appeared in the 1609 edition (printed in Hanau by Guilielmus Antonius). Given the lack of titles on the prints, establishing a census is difficult, though the individual plates from the Amphitheatrum are generally not individually cataloged. The entire Amphitheatrum is held by several dozen academic institutions in Europe and North America, with the 1595 edition being extremely rare and later printings being more common, especially the 1653 printing.