After some very general trawling of the college library I pulled out an old Graphis book about the sun in art. It has the charming feature of six or seven inserts on different paper of various sun symbols- I should photograph it really so you can get the full effect. It is impractical, but lovely which is really the more important thing for a book to be. It also has a very charming introduction: "At all times, under all skies, the profound relationship of Man to Sun has persisted, and is still giving birth to new symbols, new images. I have gathered in this book a choice of the loveliest and most startling if them." (Walter Herdeg). I love that 'most startling'. It reminded me of the role of the sun in alchemical symbolism, where it might signify gold, and further- the philosopher's stone. Above, some plates from Bibliodyssey, the first from Splendor Solis, the sun in the context of the landscape represents different stages of the alchemical process; the second a: "Zodiacal being. Allegorical frontispiece with alchemical imagery, showing the Sun and Moon as givers of all terrestrial and subterrestrial life." (source)
