Press release from the Nobel Prize Museum

Object from Santiago Ramón y Cajal has been donated to the Nobel Prize Museum

11 November 2025 View in Swedish
Object Donation Ramón y Cajal (4)

Ulf Larsson, senor curator Nobel Prize Museum and Ángel Cañadas Bernal, Ramón y Cajal's great-grandson.

© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Nanaka Adachi

The Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906. Now, two unique objects by Cajal are donated to the Nobel Prize Museum: an original drawing and a wood engraving plate, both depicting neurons.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s groundbreaking research and principles, such as the Neuron Doctrine, have shaped modern neuroscience and continue to influence our understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system. Mr. Ángel Cañadas Bernal, Cajal’s great-grandson, is now donating a drawing and an engraving plate by Santiago Ramón y Cajal to the Nobel Prize Museum.

“We’re honoured to receive these remarkable objects created by Santiago Ramón y Cajal. They reflect the intersection of science and art and will continue to inspire people in many different fields,” says Anna Rastner, Director of the Nobel Prize Museum.

The double-sided drawing depicts neurons and is characterized by highly precise lines. It is a preparatory drawing to one of the illustrations included in Cajal’s scientific book Texture of the Nervous System of Man and the Vertebrates (Vol. II, 1904). The wood engraving plate, also featuring a neuron motif, was in turn a tool used by him in the printing of another illustration in the same book.

Cajal stood out for his ability to combine science and art, something which is clearly reflected in his illustrations. The drawings are not only scientifically accurate; they also carry a unique artistic expression.

“Cajal’s influence went far beyond the laboratory. He had a profound impact on education and research, inspiring generations of scientists, and placing Spain firmly on the international scientific map,” says H.E. ambassador Luis Cuesta, Ambassador at the Embassy of Spain in Sweden.

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Ángel Cañadas Bernal, Ramón y Cajal’s great-grandson. © Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Nanaka Adachi

Santiago Ramón y Cajal was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 together with Italian pathologist Camillo Golgi. The prize motivation reads: “in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system.” Together, they laid the foundation for our modern understanding of the brain’s architecture.

The objects have been donated by Mr. Ángel Cañadas Bernal with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Sweden and Belén Yuste and Sonnia L. Rivas-Caballero, authors of the biography Descubriendo a Cajal.

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The Nobel Prize shows that ideas can change the world. The courage, creativity and perseverance of the Nobel Prize laureates inspire us and give us hope for the future. Films, in-depth tours, and artefacts tell the stories of the laureates and their contributions “for the greatest benefit to humankind”. Based on the Nobel Prize’s unique combination of fields – natural sciences, literature and peace – we examine the greatest challenges of our time and show how we can respond to them through science, humanism and collaboration. With our exhibitions, school programmes, lectures and conversations, we at the Nobel Prize Museum strive to engage the public in making a better world. Today we are located on Stortorget, the main square in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town district. We are planning to create a new home for our public outreach activities at Slussen in central Stockholm.

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