Augusto Nobre: the scientist
Augusto Nobre (1865-1946) was an essential figure in the history of University of Porto, having been a professor, 3rd Chancellor (1919-1926) and renowned zoologist. He is linked to the creation of the Zoology Museum in 1892 (now MHNC-UP), of which he was director until 1927.
Nobre was one of the first scientists to study the marine fauna of the Portuguese coast.
In his creative process, Augusto Nobre started from the observation of the live specimen in an aquarium.
Sketch with annotations of Blennius gattorugine by Augusto Nobre (c. 1934) by Augusto NobreNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
The illustrations
He also frequently used the fish he had caught to outline it in pencil on a sheet of paper.
The empty spaces on the sheets were covered with detailed information about the physical characteristics of the illustrated fish, so that the specimen could be better identified.
In this particular case, you can read that the fish used was of a ‘reddish grey colour’, ‘with a wide vertical red area’ and a ‘dark snout’, having been caught in Aver-o-Mar (Póvoa de Varzim), ‘on a hook’, ‘between the rocks’.
Blennius gattorugine illustration by Augusto Nobre (c. 1934) by Augusto NobreNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
Once the sketch was finalized, the details were carefully represented, with the author resorting to the techniques of dotting, outlining and shading.
Beryx decadactylus illustration by Augusto Nobre (c. 1934) by Augusto NobreNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
In some illustrations you can still see organic traces of the fish, namely blood, which confirms the use of the animal itself in the design of the illustration.
Beryx decadactylus by Augusto Nobre (2024) by Augusto Nobre, Ana Sofia Correia, and Ismoon, CC BY-SA 4.0 via wiki Wikimedia CommonsNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
For Nobre, illustration was regarded as a working tool and it therefore dialogues with the author's scientific knowledge.
Raja undulata illustration by Augusto Nobre (c. 1934) by Augusto NobreNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
His illustrations can be identified by the acronym ‘A. N.’ or by the signature ’A. Nobre’, an authorial mark that remained on the prints.
The works were accompanied by a drawn scale indicating the size, an important piece of information for printing.
Group of 10 fish brains illustrations by Augusto Nobre (c. 1931) by Augusto NobreNatural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto
Fish organs
For organizational reasons, fish organs were drawn individually, then cut out, numbered and assembled on a sheet to be printed and included in scientific books.
The brain, as you can see, was carefully arranged so that all its parts were visible.
In other cases, Nobre represented the details of the scales or the teeth of the specimens under study.
At the end of this cycle, the illustrator signed the work, making it ready to be printed in his scientific publications. The author's pragmatic personality can be seen in the reuse of the paper which was cut from larger sheets. As a result of this spirit of restraint, the illustrations vary in shape and size.
From an early age, Augusto Nobre valued the use of scientific illustration as an important resource for studying and registering marine animals. The scientist drew several fish that he later published in his books ‘Peixes das Águas Doces de Portugal’ and ‘Vertebrados I’.
Although many of Augusto Nobre's illustrations are his own, you can also find illustrations by other artists.
Among them are those by his sister-in-law Sara Cabral Ferreira, who became his favourite illustrator due to the fine quality and detail of her drawings.
The real world
The protagonists of Nobre's illustrations continue to populate the Portuguese seas and coasts.
The varied colours, shapes and sizes of these fish offer a characteristic biodiversity of the marine fauna and allow the memory of this essential scientist from Porto to be eternalized.
CURATORSHIP: Ana Sofia Correia, sob a supervisão de Ana Cristina Sousa (DCTP-FLUP) e Diana Felícia (CITCEM/FLUP).
TEXTS: Ana Sofia Correia, com revisão científica de Ana Cristina Sousa, Diana Felícia e Maria João Fonseca.
IMAGE EDITING: Ana Sofia Correia.
VIDEO EDITING: Ana Sofia Correia e João Marçal.
PRODUCTION: This work is the result of Ana Sofia Correia's internship within the context of the Master's Degree in History of Art, Heritage and Visual Culture (MHAPCV), from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, developed at the Museum of Natural History and Science (MHNC-UP) during the 2023/2024 academic year, under the supervision of Dr Maria João Fonseca in collaboration with Cristiana Vieira and Helena Gonçalves. The project was approved by the Scientific Committee in office at the MHAPCV.
PROJECT'S REPORT:
THANKS/ IMAGE AND VIDEO CREDITS: All credits for the images used have been properly included in the corresponding media.
TRANSLATION: Ana Sofia Correia.
