On cathedrals and alchemy: some modern interpretations of medieval iconography by Esprit Gobineau de Montluisant
BJHS Themes October 10, 2025 Tom Fischer
This article explores the theme of the alchemical interpretations of medieval iconography through the life and the writings of Esprit Gobineau de Montluisant (c.1590–between 1652 and 1665). This French alchemist and poet indeed composed a dissertation on some of the ornaments on the main facade of Notre-Dame de Paris, in which he asserted that the sculptures that adorn it conceal alchemical...