The Monumento a Santiago Ramón y Cajal by Victorio Macho

Inaugurated in 1926, the Monumento a Santiago Ramón y Cajal stands in the Retiro Park in Madrid as a commemorative work by the sculptor Victorio Macho. The sculpture features a reclining figure of Cajal situated in the center of a pond, positioned like an Etruscan sarcophagus figure with a mantle and a bare torso, resembling a classic hero. The monument is constructed from granite, limestone, and bronze.

Closing the pond like a facade is an edicule featuring a bronze female statue representing Medical Science (La ciencia médica). Flanking this statue are two fountains decorated with square reliefs. These reliefs represent the Fountain of Life (Fons Vitae) and the Fountain of Death (Fons Mortis), depicting the joy of a family for a newborn child and the grief of a woman for a dead man, respectively. These elements allegorically and realistically allude to Cajal's profession as a doctor and scientist.

Recognized as some of the most significant works by Victorio Macho, the reliefs and sculpture are considered some of the most novel creations in this field in 20th-century Spain. The monument was featured on the 50 peseta banknotes of the Spanish Second Republic in 1935.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons