The image attached is one illustration from many from Santiago Ramon Y Cajal’s Die Retina der Wirbelthiere: Untersuchungen mit der Golgi-cajal' schen Chromsilbermethode und der ehrlich' schen Methylenblaufärbung." originally published in German. In this text he dives into his work on the visual system, particularly focusing on the neural connectivity of the retina. Upon a series of staining of the retina Ramon Y Cajal is was able to construct the illustration. This is the first published illustration of the visual system's complex circuitry. It is compelling because it holds aesthetic value, as Ramon Y Cajal was initially set on becoming an artist. It is interesting to realize that this is the first sensory system he selected. There are multiple complicated systems, but the regulation of the visual system is by far one of the most unique. It brings to light an idea of meta-aestheticism. The aesthetic of self. It is visually pleasing to see his work on the neurological system that helps us see. It shows the reader, in one sense, the true nature of themselves. The artist doesn’t place any of himself or emotion in the work, it is simply his best rendition of what the exactness of a biological system should be. This is what the reader absorbs, and this is what they consider.
Citations
Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2020). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain. Burlington, MA, PA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Cajal, S. R. (1894). Die Retina der Wirbelthiere: Untersuchungen mit der Golgi-Cajalschen Chromsilbermethode und der Ehrlichschen Methylenblaufárbung. Wiesbaden: Bergmann.
Smith, R. (2018, January 18). A Deep Dive Into the Brain, Hand-Drawn by the Father of Neuroscience. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/design/brain-neuroscience-santi…