The Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramon y Cajal

At the crossroads of art and science, TheBeautiful Brain presents Nobel Laureate Santiago Ramn y Cajals contributions to neuroscience through his groundbreaking artistic brain imagery. Among the worlds greatest scientific illustrations. . . . They posit the thing between your ears as an immense cosmic universe, or at least one of the most intricate of all of natures creations. That the images are also undeniable as art only adds to the complexity. New York Times Santiago Ramn y Cajal (18521934) was the father of modern neuroscience and an exceptional artist. He devoted his life to the anatomy of the brain, the bodys most complex and mysterious organ. His superhuman feats of visualization, based on fanatically precise techniques and countless hours at the microscope, resulted in some of the most remarkable illustrations in the history of science. This selection of Cajals exquisite drawings of brain cells, brain regions, and neural circuits features accessible descriptive commentary, explored in the text from multiple perspectives: Larry W. Swanson describes Cajals contributions to neuroscience Lyndel King and Eric Himmel explore his artistic roots and achievement Eric A. Newman provides commentary on the drawings Janet M. Dubinsky describes contemporary neuroscience imaging techniques This book is the companion to the traveling exhibition that marked the first time that many of these works, which are housed at the Instituto Cajal in Madrid, have been seen outside of Spain. In addition to showcasing Cajals contributions to neuroscience and exploring his artistic roots and achievement, The Beautiful Brain looks at his work in relation to contemporary neuroscience imaging, appealing to general readers and professionals alike.