本論文探討馬克斯．恩斯特對原生物質之藝術探索，尤其針對煉金術歷史、象徵意義以及煉金術可以得的文獻上。結果顯示，煉金術的思想及圖像為恩斯特畢生之作的思想中心，反映出宇宙觀念；每個人皆具有靈魂，煉金術士開發出一種精神上的技術，一種帶有靈魂的科學。煉金術傳統形成了一種叫煉金術趨勢的現象，創造出雙向和多義的含義。因此，每一個符號內容成為進一步的謎團，以前一個更加神秘，但終極意義依然無法解讀。顯而易見地，許多恩斯特的煉金術象徵代表他的大量拼貼可視為最初煉金操作，在腐爛的過程中，原始物質的陽剛與陰柔特性被發現，銷毀，掩埋。恩斯特亦在創造他的超現實主義和煉金術的拼貼畫中回收使用19世紀末到20世紀初的雜誌插圖，尤其受到赫伯特．席柏爾（Herbert Siberer）的著作＂Probleme der Mystik und ihrer Symbolik＂（1914）影響最甚。馬克斯．恩斯特對原生物質之藝術探索中使用到大量煉金術符號，很明顯的符合Turner（1969）「多重意義」的觀念。

This study explores the history of alchemy, its symbolism, and the availability of historical alchemical texts to Max Ernst in his artistic quest for Primal Matter. The findings reveal that alchemical ideas and imagery far from being peripheral to Ernst's oeuvre arc central to it. It is also evident that Hermetic thought reflected the notion of a universe in which every being possessed a spirit and that alchemist developed a spiritual technology, a science with a soul. Moreover, Hermetic tradition engendered a phenomenon called Hermetic Drift to create dual and multi vocal meanings. Thus, the content of every symbol became a further enigma and the ultimate meaning was inevitably postponed. It is clear that much of Ernst's alchemical symbolization represents the process and culmination of the alchemical work and that his collages can be equated with the initial alchemical operations in which the masculine and feminine properties of Primal Matter arc discovered, destroyed, and buried in order to begin the proce s of putrefaction. It is also patent that Ernst recycled illustrations from late 19^(th) and early 20^(th) century periodicals in the creation of his alchemical collages and that his symbolization was influenced by various historical alchemical texts, and especially by Herbert Silberer's Probleme der Mystik und ihrer Symbolik (1914). Turner's (1969) notion of multivocality is apparent in the myriad of alchemical symbols which Max Ernst employed in his quest for Primal Matter.