Sol Ascending – Splendor Solis (c. 1580's)

Sol Ascending – Splendor Solis, dated to the 1580s, is an alchemical image organized around illumination as a governing condition rather than a procedural sequence.

The composition presents the sun as a centralized, animating force suspended over the world below, allowing radiance to structure the entire visual field. Rather than illustrating transformation through steps, the image frames ascent as a state of coherence achieved through light, balance, and elevation.