How The Father Of Neuroscience Used The Power Of Illustration

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934) is the father of modern neuroscience.

Most scientists of the time believed the brain was a continuous, interconnected network. Cajal argued that the brain was composed of individual cells: neurons. In the 1950’s, high-resolution electron microscopes proved him right.

Why would someone like me, an illustrator, be interested in Señor Cajal?

Because he was also a wonderful artist (he studied art before attending medical school).

During his lifetime, he created more than 2900 drawings of the brain and other nerve tissue. Some of them are still used in textbooks. His work was the subject of a major exhibition last year.

Here are some examples. Click on the composite below to see a larger version. On a personal note, I loved seeing the early “white-out” he used to correct his mistakes.

Cajal taught himself photography and made carefully posed self-portraits throughout his life.

Here he is in his lab, in his mid-thirties, circa 1885. He’s definitely putting out that moody artist vibe… 😊

Cajal used a microscope for his observations, and cross-hatching, dots, ink washes, and occasionally watercolor for his drawings.

Here’s his 1904 drawing of cells in the retina of the eye:

I write these posts to demonstrate the power and appeal of illustration to prospective clients– how does Cajal’s work fit into that?

Because it makes this very important point:

Working freehand, Cajal summarized what he saw under the microscope rather than making an exact copy. In a single sketch, he combined observations he made at different times, using different methods. He did this to illustrate a larger hypothesis, rather than just copying what he saw.

In other words, he did what every good illustrator tries to do: to render a fuller reality or “truth”– one that a photograph can’t fully capture.

Here’s an electron microscopy of the retina next to Cajal’s sketch. The photo is colorful, precise, literal, passive.

Cajal’s sketch has energy; it’s telling a story, emphasizing certain points, making connections. It’s trying to convey a truth that goes beyond a mere photographic record.

That’s the value you get with a custom illustration: it fits
your brand, and speaks your truth: what it is that makes you different: a brand worth choosing.