Alchemy as a language of mediation at the Habsburg court / Pamela H. Smith.
Abstract:
'In this essay I argue that alchemy, a quintessential noble activity, was employed at the court of two Habsburg emperors as a discourse of mediation. Rudolf II (ruled 1576-1612) patronized alchemy as a language of mediation between religious confessions, while at the court of Emperor Leopold I (c. 1658-1705), almost a century later, alchemy became a route to favor, a language of monarchical self-presentation, and also, in at least one case, an activity that mediated between noble and commercial culture.'
Isis Vol. 85 (1994), p. 1-25