Heinrich Christoph Fehling Paintings

Heinrich Christoph Fehling may not be widely recognized as an artist because he was actually a German chemist, best known for his development of Fehling's solution used to estimate sugar levels in solutions. Born on June 9, 1812, in Lübeck, Germany, Fehling studied pharmacy and chemistry at Heidelberg University and the University of Giessen where he was influenced by notable chemists such as Justus von Liebig.

After completing his education, Fehling became a professor of chemistry and pharmacy at the Polytechnic School of Stuttgart in 1849. Throughout his career, he conducted extensive research in various areas of chemistry. His most significant contribution was the 1849 development of Fehling's solution, a complex compound of copper in an alkaline tartrate solution, which is used as a test for the presence and concentration of reducing sugars.

Fehling's solution has been widely used in clinical chemistry and has become a standard method in carbohydrate chemistry, particularly in the fields of food chemistry and nutrition. Beyond his famous solution, Fehling made several other contributions to organic chemistry and analytical methods.

Fehling's work as a chemist was highly regarded in his time, and his legacy continues in the field of chemistry. His contributions are still recognized in modern laboratories, where Fehling's solution remains a common reagent for the detection of sugars. Heinrich Christoph Fehling passed away on July 1, 1885, in Stuttgart, leaving behind a lasting impact on the scientific community.