Wigger

"It must be known that there are four principal regimens of our stone, namely to dissolve, wash, conjoin and fix, such as you see in the second scheme. To dissolve is to divide bodies, and to make matter.

To wash is to inhumate, to distill, to ascend and descend.

To conjoin is to impregnate, to whiten and to redden.

To fix, however, is to ferment and to betroth.

Solution converts the stone into its first matter, that is, its water, washing into air, conjunction into fire, fixation into spiritual and tincturing earth.

Whence the Philosopher: When you have water from air, and air from fire, and fire from earth: then you will have the full art: Because when the four elements are then well and perfectly prepared, and all these the master of the work and fire does well in one vessel alone, in four grades, namely of the four colors of conversion."

— Philosophia Reformata, c. 1622 by Johannes Daniel Mylius

Orpheus in the Underworld. by Pierre Amédée Marcel-Béronneau (1869–1937)

Mercury from "The Gods Who Preside Over the Planets" c. 1529 by Master I.B. German

Venus, from "The Gods Who Preside Over the Planets" c. 1529 by Master I.B. German

Quinta essentia, das ist, die höchste Subtilitet, Krafft und Wirckung beyder der fürtrefflichsten und menschlichem Geschlecht am nützlichsten Künsten der, c. 1574 

The Seven Planets, School of/style of: Lucas Cranach the Younger Block cut by: Monogrammist CG, c. 1550-1570