Mercury

Found in Eqyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC, Alchemists thought of mercury as the First Matter from which all metals were formed. Also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum (from “hydr-” water and “argyros” silver), it is the only metal that is liquid, as a chemical element it has the symbol Hg and the atomic number 80. The element was named after the Roman god Mercury, known for speed and mobility.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012