The Green Lion Devouring the Sun

This engraving depicts an alchemical allegory featuring a large, green-colored lion consuming a radiant sun characterized by a human face. Floating above the lion is a swirling ribbon or scroll inscribed with early modern German text. The image serves as a visual metaphor for the dissolution of the 'gold' or solar principle by a solvent, often identified as vitriol.

This motif represents the 'Green Lion' (leo viridis), a standard alchemical symbol for the raw, acidic solvent used to break down metals. It is a recurring image in the 'Rosarium philosophorum,' signifying the chemical reduction or 'death' necessary for the beginning of the Great Work.