Anselm Kiefer: Women Alchemists
«Alchemy is not about making gold: the true alchemist is not interested in material things, but in transmutation, in the transformation of the spirit». Anselm Kiefer
On the occasion of the exhibition Kiefer. The Women Alchemists, featuring a new installation specifically conceived for Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale in Milan (open from February 7th to September 27th, 2026), Marsilio Arte is publishing the eponymous catalogue edited by Gabriella Belli, who is also the curator of the exhibition. The catalogue documents how the artist reinterprets historical and legendary figures, the “Alchemists”, transforming them into symbols of knowledge and resilience. The iconographic apparatus precisely captures the material density of the works, characterized by Kiefer’s signature use of lead, ash, gold, and organic sediments.
In her contribution, The Kiefer Log 2024-2026, curator Gabriella Belli retraces the Palazzo Reale exhibition, highlighting how these figures influenced modern science through care and regeneration. The essay weaves the history of Milan’s Palazzo Reale with the artist’s painting in a celebration of female talent and the overcoming of historical prejudice, marking a symbolic journey between darkness and reason. Belli also reflects on her curatorial relationship with the artist, offering a rare insight into the processes that shape projects of this magnitude.
In Alchemy: A History of Inspiration and Transformation, Lawrence M. Principe describes this discipline fundamental to the history of science and culture. The text explores its evolution through the Islamic world and medieval Europe, emphasizing the crucial role of women and the enduring power of this “art of transformation” to inspire great artists, from the 17th-century Flemish masters to Anselm Kiefer.
In Sisters of Alchemy: The fire of women by Anselm Kiefer, Natacha Fabbri explores Kiefer’s Women Alchemists as figures capable of uniting destruction and rebirth, transforming the Sala delle Cariatidi into a labyrinth where memory and matter merge. The academic highlights how Kiefer’s work recovers and elevates the fundamental, and often overshadowed, innovative contribution of female alchemists to knowledge.
The essay An Untenable Christianity? by Gabriele Guercio analyzes Anselm Kiefer’s poetics through the link between art and theology, interpreting his works as an attemp tat the “incarnation” of matter and spirit.
This is followed by a section dedicated to color plates, rich in detail, illustrating this extraordinary cycle dedicated to The Women Alchemists and providing a complete visual overview. The catalogue is completed by a register of works, providing technical details for every piece on display, and biographies of the alchemists curated by Natacha Fabbri, offering precious information on the historical and legendary figures who inspired the artist’s cosmogony.
Hardback, 192 pages
Anselm Kiefer: Women Alchemists
«Alchemy is not about making gold: the true alchemist is not interested in material things, but in transmutation, in the transformation of the spirit». Anselm Kiefer
On the occasion of the exhibition Kiefer. The Women Alchemists, featuring a new installation specifically conceived for Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale in Milan (open from February 7th to September 27th, 2026), Marsilio Arte is publishing the eponymous catalogue edited by Gabriella Belli, who is also the curator of the exhibition. The catalogue documents how the artist reinterprets historical and legendary figures, the “Alchemists”, transforming them into symbols of knowledge and resilience. The iconographic apparatus precisely captures the material density of the works, characterized by Kiefer’s signature use of lead, ash, gold, and organic sediments.
In her contribution, The Kiefer Log 2024-2026, curator Gabriella Belli retraces the Palazzo Reale exhibition, highlighting how these figures influenced modern science through care and regeneration. The essay weaves the history of Milan’s Palazzo Reale with the artist’s painting in a celebration of female talent and the overcoming of historical prejudice, marking a symbolic journey between darkness and reason. Belli also reflects on her curatorial relationship with the artist, offering a rare insight into the processes that shape projects of this magnitude.
In Alchemy: A History of Inspiration and Transformation, Lawrence M. Principe describes this discipline fundamental to the history of science and culture. The text explores its evolution through the Islamic world and medieval Europe, emphasizing the crucial role of women and the enduring power of this “art of transformation” to inspire great artists, from the 17th-century Flemish masters to Anselm Kiefer.
In Sisters of Alchemy: The fire of women by Anselm Kiefer, Natacha Fabbri explores Kiefer’s Women Alchemists as figures capable of uniting destruction and rebirth, transforming the Sala delle Cariatidi into a labyrinth where memory and matter merge. The academic highlights how Kiefer’s work recovers and elevates the fundamental, and often overshadowed, innovative contribution of female alchemists to knowledge.
The essay An Untenable Christianity? by Gabriele Guercio analyzes Anselm Kiefer’s poetics through the link between art and theology, interpreting his works as an attemp tat the “incarnation” of matter and spirit.
This is followed by a section dedicated to color plates, rich in detail, illustrating this extraordinary cycle dedicated to The Women Alchemists and providing a complete visual overview. The catalogue is completed by a register of works, providing technical details for every piece on display, and biographies of the alchemists curated by Natacha Fabbri, offering precious information on the historical and legendary figures who inspired the artist’s cosmogony.
Hardback, 192 pages
