The Dürer Files: 1. "Melencolia I" & The Golden Egg (Updated 8/11/2024)

"For the alchemists the vessel is something truly marvelous: a vas mirabile. Maria Prophetissa says that the whole secret lies in knowing about the Hermetic vessel. “Unum est vas” (the vessel is one) is emphasized again and again. It must be completely round, in imitation of the spherical cosmos, so that the influence of the stars may contribute to the success of the operation. It is a kind of matrix or uterus from which the filius philosophorum, the miraculous Stone, is to be born. Hence it is required that the vessel be not only round but egg-shaped."

- Sourced from a quote found here, we are introduced to the ancient alchemist Maria Prophetissa, also known as Maria the Jewess,* who had a thing or two to say about the golden egg, as did I in a Samhain post (featuring Leonora Carrington's eggs) a year or two ago!

Prescience? At that time, apart from this fundamental (Easter egg) relationship, I didn't realize that there was actually a phi configuration - using two identical spirals - which, when combined, form a perfect ovoid. But, in the past month I have found two perfect varieties of phi ovoids - both varieties discovered in paintings - which comprise a new phi spiral category: the Golden Eggs.

If anyone knew about Golden Eggs, you might suppose it'd be Albrecht Dürer. And, it goes without saying, that if a golden egg was to be found in any of his major works, Melencolia I - one of his most iconic images... and an image saturated with phi - would be the logical place to search. I've previously devoted 2 posts to the spirals found in this melancholy baby (1 & 2). But, until this past week, I had not incorporated the corresponding pentagram... and, when I did, I was astounded. The big surprise (the easter egg) was the perfect relationship between the ladder and his famous, enigmatic polyhedron. Can't touch that!

As for the golden egg? Well, observe...

In spite of the fact that examples most spirals I've shown of Melencolia always seem to terminate around the dog's rump, I don't think this visual pun was in any way related to Dürer's opinion of the golden ratio... elsewise he would not have fashioned this egg (... although, this is not to say that he consciously fashioned it, nor that the golden meme was uninvolved!). But, if the ovoid is accurate, then it stands to reason that for Durer, this visual pun did have some meaning.

As it stands, all three of his Master Engravings may very well incorporate golden eggs. In other words, they're not referred to as "master" for nothing. And, so it goes... creating an egg image is almost an architectural operation or musical orchestration... or something akin to brain surgery - it will not allow for a slip of the hand. An extra feature (not shown) is that the entire egg apparatus can be flipped and might continue to correspond to Dürer's design... producing what is comparable to the squaring of phi!

Note (8/11/2024): I have updated the image with a "crosshatch" which, along with the axis of symmetry (or, what I refer to as the plumb line) is really crucial for finding - and creating - an ovoid... Actually "ovoid" might not be the correct mathematical term either, in which case you are welcome to correct me!)

Of the two possible ovoids, the one used in Melencolia I is the phi ovoid of the second kind. I've shown two geometrical characteristics of this ovoid below.

In the first figure we see the positions of the phi-shells, two small ones inside one (of two) large ones. In the second figure we see the lovely 10-fold star. But, it's a unique star which also incorporates 4 and 6-fold symmetries.

In any case, if you wonder where I've been this past month, well, it should be obvious by now. And, as forewarned, my original sequence for The Dürer Files has already changed. There is much to be said about the ovoids, and several golden egg images by related artists we have yet to acknowledge. Stay tuned. My various inspirations and discoveries are brought to you live. I don't think there ever was a script I could stick with. ;-)

_____________________________________________________

*

Maria the Jewess from alchemist Michael Maier's Symbola aurea mensae, Frankfurt, 1617.

There is a strong geometrical factor in much of alchemical imagery, but I was shocked to see this unusual illumination of Maria the Jewess. While I have no knowledge of the weird figure Maria is pointing at, I note the small pentagon of flowers in the center of what might be a metaphorical golden egg!

For further information, here's a link to a great Michael Maier exploration: Furnace & Fugue. And, do check out this excellent art history website (and gallery): Obelisk.

___________________________________________________________________________________

And, lest I forget, above we have the artist at work in his phi-shell. Below is an alternate phi-shell configuration. Really, you can't make this up!