Distillatio (Distillation)

Workshop of Philip Galle after Jan van der Straet

National Gallery of Art

This print shows an alchemical laboratory filled with various apparatuses and equipment associated with distillation, such as flasks, large tubs or vessels, and tubes and wires. There are adult men and young boys engaged in tasks throughout the scene, stoking fires, holding vessels, reading books, or conversing with one another. The setting is a large room with high ceilings, arches and beams. Shelves line the walls, full of more equipment, and more men are seen working in the background, surrounded by smoke and vapors.