Art and the Scientist

Not many scientists or physicians think critically about the serious differences in the problems that the medical illustrator or graphic artist for science has in comparison to the artist who is creating his own images of his own ideas and interpretations. Geoffrey Lapage has managed to collect together a perfectly delightful series of illustrations, sketches, designs, and diagrams which vividly portray the historical changes in the capacities and techniques of the scientific artist or illustrator over the years. In the illustration of a scientific treatise or paper the primary requirements are accuracy and clarity. If at the same time one can achieve an artistic effect, this is so much the better; but the artist's role qua artist must remain subordinate when there is any conflict between accurate representation and artistic effect. We commonly ascribe to the development of printing with movable type a large part of the advance of science