Revista abierta que muestra el inicio de un artículo junto con una ilustración sobre la naturalista francesa Jeanne Villepreux-Power que la muestra agachada en una playa, con su cuaderno de campo y viendo conchas de animales en la arena.
Revista abierta que muestra parte de un artículo junto a ilustraciones entre alas que se encuentra una que muestra a la naturalista francesa Jeanne Villepreux-Power trabajando en su oficina con sus apuntes y junto a un acuario con un nautilus de papel.
Ilustración sobre la naturalista francesa Jeanne Villepreux-Power que la muestra agachada en una playa, con su cuaderno de campo y viendo conchas de animales en la arena.
Ilustración que muestra a la naturalista francesa Jeanne Villepreux-Power trabajando en su oficina con sus apuntes y junto a un acuario con un nautilus de papel.

Women and science: Jeanne Villepreux-Power

She was a French naturalist and scientist born in 1794, a pioneer in marine biology. Of humble origins, Jeanne Villepreux-Power worked as a seamstress and dressmaker in Paris before moving to Sicily after her marriage in 1818, where she developed her interest in marine organisms.

She was a French naturalist and scientist born in 1794, and a pioneer in marine biology. Of humble origins, Jeanne Villepreux-Power worked as a seamstress and dressmaker in Paris before moving to Sicily after her marriage in 1818, where she developed her interest in marine organisms.Argonauta argo), a cephalopod mollusk whose shell generated much scientific speculation. Jeanne demonstrated that the species produced its own shell, challenging the belief that it simply used it for shelter.

She wrote several scientific treatises and became a member of numerous European scientific societies. Despite her important contributions, Jeanne received little recognition due to the gender bias prevalent in science at the time. In addition, a shipwreck on her return to England caused much of her records and specimens to be lost, making it difficult to spread her legacy.

Despite these obstacles, Jeanne is still remembered as one of the first women in marine biology and as an innovator in the use of scientific tools. Today, her impact is recognized as a milestone in the development of natural sciences. She died in 1871, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire generations of female scientists and naturalists.

This work includes illustrations made for a popular article about Jeanne Villepreux-Power in the “Women and Science” section of the Okeanos Magazine of the Atlantic Society of Oceanographers, which seeks to highlight the important role of many women in the knowledge of the oceans throughout history.

To read the article and see other editions of the magazine click here.

Year: 2023
Technique: Digital illustration.
Illustration type: Naturalistic.
Type of project/Client: Okeanos Magazine.