The Androgynous Rebis (Rosarium Philosophorum)

This watercolor print depicts a nude, winged androgynous figure with two heads—one male and one female—wearing a golden crown. The figure stands atop a crescent moon which features a human face. In its right hand, the figure holds a chalice containing three entwined serpents; in its left hand, it grasps a single serpent. To the left, a tall, slender tree bears ten round, fruit-like objects, each showing a serene human face. To the right, a grounded bird sits upon a small hillock. The style is illustrative with muted tones, emphasizing the symbolic alchemical elements of union and synthesis.

This image is a seminal illustration from the 'Rosarium philosophorum' (1550), a foundational alchemical text detailing the process of the 'Great Work' (Magnum Opus). It symbolizes the 'Rebis' or 'two-thing,' representing the reconciliation of opposites—such as sulfur and mercury, or male and female—into a unified, enlightened state.