About this artwork
Alquimia III comes from Olga de Amaral’s largest series of more than 40 works on the subject of alchemy, which she began in the early 1980s. The work’s title refers to pseudoscientific attempts to turn cheap metal into pure gold. In Amaral’s hands, simple materials—in this case, linen, cotton, and pigment—are transformed into something valuable by artistry and the addition of gold leaf. She was inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, in which artisans repair broken pottery by sealing the cracks with gold, thus celebrating imperfections.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 59
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Department
- Textiles
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Artist
- Olga de Amaral
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Title
- Alquimia III (Alchemy III)
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Place
- Colombia (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1983
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Medium
- Strips of linen and cotton, plain weave with exposed warps; applied gesso; painted with gold leaf and pigment; joined by knotted extended ground weft fringe
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Inscriptions
- 362 "Alquimia III" 1983-OLGA DE AMARAL [recto, sewn to lower rt. corner; text written in black ink on cloth tag, painted white]
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Dimensions
- 204.5 × 79.4 cm (80 1/2 × 31 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Nicole Williams Contemporary Textile Fund
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Reference Number
- 1986.1006
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
