Description
Jackson Pollock – Alchemy
| Year of creation: | 1947 |
| Original size: | 221.3 cm x 114.6 cm |
| Painting style: | Abstract Expressionism |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas with aluminum paints |
| Located: | Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice |
Alchemy – Jackson Pollock
Alchemy is a painting by Jackson Pollock from 1947: the wide canvas is covered by a dense layer of poured and dripped lines in white, yellow, orange, red and black on a dark ground. We paint our hand-painted study of Alchemy to order on canvas, in oil or acrylic, in 8 sizes from 100 × 50 cm to 240 × 120 cm or in a custom size. Before Alchemy is dispatched, we send you a photo of the finished painting.
What does Alchemy show?
In Alchemy thick white lines wind over darker layers, and between them orange, yellow and red patches glow; in places the surface is so dense that it is almost in relief. The original dates from the first year of Pollock’s drip paintings and is painted with several kinds of paint, aluminium paint among them. The title refers to alchemy, the old art of transforming matter: like an alchemist, in Alchemy Pollock turned ordinary paint into something almost precious.
How is our hand-painted study of Alchemy made?
Our painters paint the study of Alchemy by hand, separately for every order: they build up Pollock’s dripped and poured lines layer by layer with thin, liquid paint, the way the original was made. That is why no two studies of Alchemy are the same line for line, and the paint stays raised on the canvas in threads and drops that a print does not have. The first photograph shows our finished study of Alchemy, still unframed, on the easel in a bright room, and the second, taken at an angle, shows the thickness of the paint and the edge of the canvas. When Alchemy is finished, we photograph it and send you the photo for approval.
Which size of Alchemy suits your room?
For the wall above a sofa or a sideboard choose Alchemy in 120 × 60 cm, and for a bedroom, hallway or work corner 100 × 50 cm. Alchemy is available in 100 × 50 cm, 120 × 60 cm, 140 × 70 cm, 160 × 80 cm, 180 × 90 cm, 200 × 100 cm, 221 × 115 cm and 240 × 120 cm. A simple rule for Alchemy: it should be about two thirds as wide as the furniture below it, with its centre about 150 cm from the floor.
How does Alchemy arrive, and when?
We ship Alchemy rolled in a sturdy tube, stretched on 2.5 cm deep wooden stretcher bars, or framed – you choose when you order. Stretching and framing of Alchemy are done in our workshop in Slovenia. When a size of Alchemy is in stock, it reaches you within 6 working days; a study of Alchemy painted to order reaches you in 15 to 45 days.
Frequently asked questions about Alchemy
Is Alchemy a print?
No. Every line of Alchemy is dripped or poured onto the canvas by hand, so the paint visibly stands up from the surface.
Can I order Alchemy in a size that is not listed?
Yes. We also paint Alchemy in a custom size; enter the width and height you want when you order Alchemy.
What does the title Alchemy mean?
Alchemy was an old art that tried to turn ordinary substances into gold. The title Alchemy hints at how Pollock created a rich, glittering surface from ordinary paint and layers of lines.
Is Alchemy a good gift?
Alchemy is a gift for a lover of Pollock, of abstract art or of large, energetic walls. If you are unsure which size of Alchemy to choose, give a gift voucher.
