Alchemy would have been considered an art form during the Renaissance due to its use in transmutation of common metals into silver and gold and things such as this. Alchemy isn't considered an art form now because its no longer practiced.
The expression “Arabic alchemy” refers to the vast literature on alchemy written in the Arabic language. Among those defined as “Arabic alchemists” we therefore find scholars of different ethnic origins—many from Persia—who produced their works in the Arabic language.