Esquema del aparato central de la olfación
The six oil paintings on canvas, each measuring 150 × 100 cm, depict intricate neurological structures and were used as a teaching aid by Ramón y Cajal combining his detailed scientific drawings with Padró y Pedret’s painting expertise:
- Diversos elementos constitutivos de la substancia gris cortical / Various Constitutive Elements of the Cortical Grey Matter (CUC 5762);
- Esquema de la estructura del cerebelo / Diagram of the Structure of the Cerebellum (CUC 5763);
- Esquema de las conexiones entre las raíces motrices y las sensitivas de la médula espinal / Diagram of Connections Between Motor and Sensory Roots of the Spinal Cord (CUC 5764);
- Esquema de la estructura de la retina de los mamíferos / Diagram of the Structure of the Mammalian Retina
- Corte transversal del caracol / Cross-Section of the Cochlea (CUC 5776)
- Esquema del aparato central de la olfación / Diagram of the Central Olfactory Apparatus (CUC 5772).
Digital documentation has become an essential tool in modern conservation. Working closely with the University’s restoration team led by Cristina Picasso, Teresa Casado and Gabriel Scarpa recorded each canvas in high resolution before and after conservation, using panoramic photography. Factum’s approach involved using a digital camera with a 300mm telephoto lens to capture hundreds of individual images per canvas. Studio flash units with UV protection and a cross-polarisation technique eliminated reflections and specular highlights, producing flat, shadow-free images with exceptional colour accuracy. An X-Rite ColorChecker Passport, photographed alongside each canvas, ensured faithful colour reproduction.
The digitisation process followed a grid pattern in photographing the canvases, creating hundreds of individual images of each painting that were later digitally stitched together by Factum’s team to create high-resolution digital files that can be explored through online viewers, providing researchers and conservators with unprecedented worldwide access to the paintings. The before-and-after documentation also provides a permanent record of the restoration, allowing future researchers to understand both the original state of these teaching tools and the decisions made during the preservation efforts.
Teresa Casado stitching together the individual images © Oak Taylor-Smith | Factum Foundation
High-resolution viewer allowing to see and explore each anatomical painting before and after restoration © Factum Foundation
Facsimiles of all six paintings were also created from the digital files, in order to help the preservation of the originals and facilitate exhibitions.
The project was supported by Pedro Ramón y Cajal, with the results published in a bilingual publication curated by Silvia García Fernández-Villa for Editorial Complutense and Fundación Ramón y Cajal Abogados.
