In the annals of British art history, few works possess a “hidden” narrative as literal—or as macabre—as Henry Gillard Glindoni’s “John Dee Performing an Experiment before Queen Elizabeth I” (c. 1913). Originally conceived as a window into the dark, ritualistic world of the Elizabethan magus, the painting underwent a drastic Victorian “sanitization” that obscured its true nature for over a century.

The Two Faces of the Magus

For decades, the version of the painting held by the Wellcome Collection was interpreted as a dignified scene of early modern science. In this “public” iteration, John Dee is depicted as a natural philosopher, demonstrating a chemical reaction to a captivated Queen Elizabeth I and her court. The floor is clean, cluttered only by the scholarly tools of navigation and astronomy.

However, X-ray analysis conducted in 2016 for the Royal College of Physicians revealed a far more unsettling original composition. Beneath the top layer of paint, Glindoni had initially placed Dee within a consecrated circle of human skulls.

The Restoration of the Occult Context

The inclusion of the skulls shifts the entire thematic weight of the piece from chemistry to necromancy.

• Ritual Protection: In 16th-century occult practice, such circles were intended to protect the practitioner from the spiritual entities being summoned.
• Historical Accuracy: While the Victorian public may have found the imagery too “Satanic,” the original concept is arguably more faithful to the historical Dee—a man who spent his later years obsessively scrying for angelic secrets alongside his medium, Edward Kelley.
• The Invisible Medium: Kelley himself is visible in the painting, seated at a desk to the right. In the “macabre” version, his presence confirms that the “experiment” is likely a session of angelic communication rather than a scientific lecture.

Key Figures and Symbols

In Glindoni’s composition, the background and peripheral details are meticulously layered with symbols that bridge the gap between Renaissance science and the “forbidden” arts. While the foreground focuses on the theatrical ritual, the surrounding room is a treasure trove for the student of the Western Esoteric Tradition.

1. The Sigillum Dei Aemeth (The Floor Sigil)

The most prominent symbol is the complex geometric configuration on the floor.

• The Heptagram/Heptagon: This is a direct reference to the Sigillum Dei Aemeth (Seal of the Truth of God), which Dee claimed was dictated to him by angels.
• Planetary Correspondence: In Dee’s system, the seven outer sections represent the seven planetary governors (the Sun, Moon, and the five known planets of the time).
• The Central Pentagram: This acts as the focal point for the “Experiment,” serving as a psychic anchor for the spirits being summoned or the alchemical transformation taking place.

2. Alchemical Tools and the “Great Work”

To the right of the painting, where Edward Kelley is seated, the background is cluttered with tools that suggest the search for the Philosopher’s Stone:

• The Athanor (Alchemical Furnace): Visible in the shadows, the furnace represents the “slow heat” required for the purification of base metals into gold.
• Glass Retorts and Flasks: These signify the process of distillation and sublimation—the physical manifestation of the spiritual journey toward enlightenment.
• The Globe and Cross: Often seen on the desk, this symbolizes the Monas Hieroglyphica, Dee’s own complex symbol intended to represent the unity of the cosmos.

3. Astrological Instruments

As a master of mundane astrology, Dee’s inclusion of navigational and celestial tools is not accidental:

• The Armillary Sphere: Positioned on the table, this represents the celestial longitudes and latitudes. For Dee, this wasn’t just for sailing; it was for timing rituals to align with specific planetary “windows”.
• Celestial Globes: These emphasize Dee’s role as the “Queen’s Astrologer,” reminding the viewer that he calculated the coronation date of Elizabeth I based on the movements of the stars.

4. The Library of “Forbidden” Knowledge

The dark, heavy bookshelves in the background represent the “Lost Library of John Dee,” which was one of the largest in Europe:

• Hidden Manuscripts: The presence of these books suggests that Dee’s power came not just from the ritual, but from his synthesis of ancient Greek mathematics, Arabic optics, and medieval grimoires.
• The Memento Mori: Even in the “cleaned” version, the heavy shadows and leather-bound tomes create an atmosphere of Theurgy—the science of working with divine spirits.

A Metaphor for Historical Revisionism

The transformation of Glindoni’s work serves as a perfect metaphor for the “cleaning up” of John Dee’s legacy. By painting over the skulls, Glindoni—or his patrons—effectively buried the esoteric and the uncomfortable under a veneer of prestigious, rational science. The 2016 X-ray discovery didn’t just find hidden paint; it recovered the identity of a man who bridged the gap between the birth of the British Empire and the depths of the Western Esoteric Tradition.

Today, the painting stands as a testament to the dual nature of the Renaissance mind: one foot in the light of the scientific revolution, and the other firmly planted within a circle of skulls.