Slov Vet Res | Vol 60 No 1 | 5 DOI 10.26873/SVR-1723-2023 UDC 636.09:655.533:75.04 Pages: 5–7 Editorial Veterinary Illustration: Science and Art Telling a Story Together At first glance, Science and Art seem to be very different, as Science is supposed to be objective and guided by data, while Art is subjective and strongly influenced by feelings and opinions. While the results of Science and Art are quite different, both processes have undeniable similarities. Both put ideas about the world into a form that allows the viewer to connect with the idea. Observing a cell, a snake, or hu- man nature is what natural sciences and art depend on, albeit for different purposes. Veterinary and medical illus- trations capture visual representations of the animal or hu- man body or individual parts for documentation purposes, for teaching, or for veterinary/medical practice. They are closely related to historical, social, and technological devel- opments that have influenced and have been influenced by the content of illustrations, the artists themselves, and the techniques used to produce, reproduce, and disseminate them from prehistoric and historical times to the present. Since prehistoric times, people have illustrated the natural world through art. The extensive collection of Paleolithic cave paintings found around the world testifies to this deep- ly rooted habit. One of the best-preserved examples, which I would like to point out because I was fascinated by them last year in Marseille, France, are the Paleolithic depictions of nature and animals, dated between 33,000 to 30,000 years ago. They were discovered in 1985 by Henri Cosqueri, a professional diver in Parc National les Canaques. Since the entrance to the Cosquer Cave is now below sea level, Na prvi pogled se zdi, da sta si Znanost in Umetnost zelo raznoliki, saj naj bi bila Znanost objektivne narave ter podpr- ta z pridobljenimi rezultati, medtem ko naj bi bila Umetnost bolj subjektivne narave ter močno pod vplivom občutkov in mnenj. Medtem, ko so rezultati, ki jih prinašata Znanost in Umetnost precej različni, sta hkrati po drugi strani obe zelo podobni, saj predstavita svoje ideje na način, da se opazo- valec z njimi poveže. Znanost in Umetnost temeljita na opa- zovanju, bodisi celice, kače ali človeške narave, pa čeprav z različnim namenom. Veterinarske in medicinske ilustracije so bistvenega pomena za vizualno predstavljane zgradbe živalskega ter človeškega telesa oz. njegovih posameznih delov za namene dokumentiranja, poučevanja ali za name- ne veterinarske medicine/medicine v praksi. Tesno so pove- zane z zgodovinskim, družbenim in tehnološkim razvojem, na katerega je vplivala vsebina ilustracij, umetniki sami in tehnike, ki so jih uporabili za njihovo izdelavo, reprodukcijo in širjenje od prazgodovine do danes. Že od prazgodovine naprej so ljudje skozi oči umetnosti upodabljali naravni svet. O tej globoko zakoreninjeni navadi priča obsežna zbirka paleolitskih jamskih slikarij, najdenih po vsem svetu. Eden najbolje ohranjenih primerkov, ki bi jih želela izpostaviti, ker so me lani navdušili v Marseillu v Franciji, so paleolitske upodobitve narave in živali, ki segajo v obdobje med 33,000 do 30,000 let pred našim štetjem. Leta 1985 jih je med potapljanjem odkril Henri Cosqueri v nacionalnem parku les Canaques. Ker je vhod v jamo Ilustracija v veterini: Znanost in Umetnost skupaj pripovedujeta zgodbo Valentina Kubale Institute of Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University in Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Accepted: 8 March 2023 SloVetRes_NOTRANJOST ver2.indd 5 09/05/2023 10:14 6 | Slov Vet Res | Vol 60 No 1 the images are very well preserved. Today we can all share this great experience by exploring the ancient art in the arti- ficial cave in the Villa Mediterannea at the port of Marseille. Throughout history, various forms of visual media have played an important role in communicating and explain- ing scientific concepts. The use of illustrations and other visual methods to convey scientific information is called scientific illustration. The main purpose of scientific illus- tration is to help the target audience better understand sci- entific concepts, whether they are researchers, students, or the general public. Therefore, scientific illustration is an important aspect of science communication at all levels. It tells a story. The distinctive feature of scientific illustration is the demand for accuracy and objectivity in presenting the concept as much as possible. A scientific illustration is certainly a form of an art, but art with the specific goal of communicating science. Veterinary science illustrations are valuable visual repre- sentations for student and client education, publications, teaching, presentations, and many other purposes. Artists collaborate in all areas, whether illustrating histology text- books, creating prosthetics, or designing artwork for phar- maceutical companies. Collaboration is key; researchers and clinicians, from veterinary to human medicine, micro- biology, and pharmaceutical sciences, work with artists. Science is a language, and veterinary and medical illustra- tors translate that language for a wide audience using a vi- sual language. Veterinary professionals can use veterinary science illustration to communicate complex and impor- tant information in clearly and concisely, in a way that is easy to understand. For example, illustrations can be used to show an animal‘s internal structures, such as its organs and bones, which can be difficult to visualize from the out- side. They can also be used to demonstrate the progres- sion of a disease or injury, helping clients understand what is happening to their animals and what treatment options are available. In addition, illustrations can be used to help veterinarians plan surgical procedures, by providing a de- tailed look at the anatomy of the affected area. They can also be used to document the progress of a treatment or procedure, allowing for more accurate tracking of changes over time. Today, there are careers in veterinary or human medical il- lustration that combine scientific knowledge with artistic skill. A medical illustrator is a professional artist with ad- vanced training in both life sciences and visual commu- nication, who translates complex information into visual images, often in collaboration with scientists, physicians, veterinarians, and other experts. However, medical illustra- tion is a small field in which there are not many trained pro- fessionals worldwide. Therefore, collaboration with artists and illustrators who share the same interest in this field is of great importance. Cosquer pod morsko gladino, so slike zelo dobro ohranje- ne. Danes lahko vsi delimo to veliko izkušnjo z raziskova- njem starodavne umetnosti v umetno ustvarjeni jami v vili Mediterannea v pristanišču Marseilla. Skozi zgodovino so imele različne oblike vizualnih medijev pomembno vlogo pri sporočanju in razlagi znanstvenih konceptov. Znanstvena ilustracija se nanaša na uporabo ilustracij in drugih vizualnih načinov z namenom posre- dovanja znanstvenih informacij različnim javnostim. Njen glavni namen je pomagati ciljnemu občinstvu bolje razume- ti znanstvene koncepte, ne glede na to, ali so raziskovalci, študenti ali splošna javnost. Zato je znanstvena ilustraci- ja pomembna na vseh ravneh v komunikaciji znanosti, saj pripoveduje njeno zgodbo. Posebnost znanstvene ilustra- cije je čim večja natančnost in objektivnost pri predstavitvi zamisli. Znanstvena ilustracija je vsekakor oblika umetno- sti, vendar umetnosti s posebnim ciljem komuniciranja znanosti. Veterinarske znanstvene ilustracije so dragoceni vizualni pripomočki za izobraževanje študentov in strank, pripravo raznovrstnih publikacij, poučevanje, predstavitve in števil- ne druge namene. Umetniki lahko sodelujejo z veterinar- sko stroko na vseh področjih, bodisi pri ilustriranju histo- loških učbenikov, ustvarjanju protetičnih pripomočkov ali pri oblikovanju umetniških del za farmacevtska podjetja. Sodelovanje je pri tem ključnega pomena; med raziskovalci in kliniki, od veterinarske do humane medicine, mikrobio- logije in farmacevtskih ved. Vsem je skupno sodelovanje z umetniki. Znanost je jezik, ki ga ilustratorji na področju veterinarske medicine in medicine prevajajo v za širše ob- činstvo razumljiv jezik in pri tem uporabijo svoj vizualni je- zik. Veterinarski strokovnjaki lahko uporabljajo ilustracije s področja veterinarske znanosti za sporočanje zaplete- nih in pomembnih informacij na jasen in jedrnat način, ki omogoča lažje razumevanje vsebine. Ilustracije lahko na primer uporabimo za prikaz notranjih struktur živali, kot so njeni organi in kosti, ki si jih je od zunaj težko predstavljati. Uporabijo se lahko tudi za prikaz napredovanja bolezni ali poškodbe, kar strankam pomaga razumeti, kaj se dogaja z njihovimi živalmi in kakšne možnosti zdravljenja so na voljo. Poleg tega so lahko ilustracije uporabne za pomoč veterinarjem pri načrtovanju kirurških posegov, tako, da jim omogočijo podrobnejši vpogled v anatomijo prizadetega območja. Uporabljajo se lahko tudi za dokumentiranje na- predka zdravljenja ali postopka, kar omogoča natančnejše sledenje spremembam skozi čas. Danes celo obstajajo na področju veterinarske ali humane medicinske ilustracije poklici, ki združujejo oboje - določe- no znanstveno znanje in umetniške spretnosti. Eden od takšnih je poklic medicinskega (znanstvenega) ilustratorja, ki je poklicni umetnik z daljšim usposabljanjem na podro- čju znanosti in vizualne komunikacije, ki interpretira kom- pleksne informacije znanosti v vizualne podobe, pogosto v sodelovanju z znanstveniki, zdravniki, veterinarji in drugimi strokovnjaki. Vendar je medicinska (znanstvena) ilustracija SloVetRes_NOTRANJOST ver2.indd 6 09/05/2023 10:14 Slov Vet Res | Vol 60 No 1 | 7 With this issue, in the light of Science and Art we welcome our first artistic collaboration with renewed artist Pšenica Kovačič, who has been working with the Veterinary faculty in Ljubljana for some time, enabling various researchers and academics to tell their stories to clients, students, and the scientific audience. She will be part of our team as an Art editor, designing and producing visual content such as illustrations for the cover of the journal and helping us com- municate our stories to a wider audience. This year’s first issue contains four interesting and various peer-reviewed articles, a review article on alternatives to rectal temperature measurement in rats, two original sci- entific articles, on the hematological profile of the Posavje horse breed and on the influence of diet on oxidative stress parameters in cats and a case report on magnetic imaging of the crested porcupine. Since the Posavje horse is an autochthonous “cold-blood- ed“ horse typical of the southeastern part of Slovenia and Croatia, it was an easy decision to feature it on the first illus- trated cover of the Slovenian Veterinary Research journal. The breed originated from unintentional crosses with vari- ous horse breeds, especially Belgian cold-blooded horses. It was selected mainly for heavy draft work, especially in steep forest areas. Today these horses are the smallest coldblooded breed in Europe and their pedigree was intro- duced in 1993. This breed is characterized by a small, thin head, a straight profile, a medium-length neck with a short back, and a short, very broad, and moderately restrained lower back. They have relatively large and strong hooves. The legs are covered with a protective coat. They have a robust constitution, are very fertile and their sexual dimor- phism is pronounced. The breed is known to be good-na- tured and peaceful. I would like to thank our new Editor-in-Chief Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer for inviting me to write this Editorial and for pav- ing the way to combine Art and Science in the field of vet- erinary illustration in our journal. During the preparation of this Editorial, a lot of material and ideas were collected on this topic, so there will be more to report in one of the future issues of the Journal. I would like to conclude with a quote from American sur- geon and medical illustrator Frank H. Netter. “Draw what can’t be seen, watch what‘s never been done, and tell thousands about it without saying a word.” Frank H. Netter, M.D. zelo specifično in ne preveč razširjeno področje ustvarjanja, z le nekaj izobraženimi strokovnjaki po vsem svetu. Zato je zelo pomembno sodelovanje z umetniki in ilustratorji, ki jih to področje zanima. V prvi letošnji številki v luči Znanosti in Umetnosti pozdravlja- mo naše prvo umetniško sodelovanje s priznano umetnico Pšenico Kovačič, ki že nekaj časa sodeluje z Veterinarsko fakulteto v Ljubljani in omogoča večim raziskovalcem in akademikom, da pripovedujejo svoje zgodbe naročnikom, študentom, kakor tudi znanstvenem občinstvu. Postala je del naše uredniške ekipe kot umetniška urednica, ki bo oblikovala in pripravljala vizualne vsebine, kot so ilustracije za naslovnico revije, ter nam pomagala posredovati naše zgodbe širšemu občinstvu. Letošnja prva številka vsebuje štiri zanimive in raznolike recenzirane članke, in sicer pregledni članek o alternativah rektalnemu merjenju temperature pri podganah, dva origi- nalna znanstvena članka o hematološkem profilu avtohto- ne slovenske pasme posavskega konja oz. posavca in vpli- vu prehrane na parametre oksidativnega stresa pri mačkah ter študijo primera o magnetnem slikanju afriškega ježevca. Ker je posavski konj kot avtohtoni »hladnokrvni« konj, zna- čilen za jugovzhodni del Slovenije in Hrvaške, je bila odlo- čitev, da prav to pasmo upodobimo na prvi ilustrirani na- slovnici revije Slovenskega Veterinarskega Zbornika, hitro sprejeta. Pasma je nastala z naključnimi križanji različnih pasmah konj, predvsem belgijskimi hladnokrvnimi konji. Selekcioniran pa je bil zlasti za težka vlečna dela, predvsem v strmih gozdnih predelih. Danes pasma velja za najmanjšo hladnokrvno pasmo konj v Evropi. Rodovnik so uvedli leta 1993. Za pasmo je značilna majhna, tanka glava, z ravnim profilom, srednje dolgim vratom, kratkim hrbtom ter krat- kim, zelo širokim in zmerno omejenim spodnjim delom hrbta. Njihova kopita so relativno velika in močna. Noge so pokrite z zaščitno dlako. Imajo robustno konstitucijo, so zelo plodni in imajo izrazit spolni dimorfizem. Pasma je znana kot dobrodušna in miroljubna. Naši novi glavni urednici dr. Klementini Fon Tacer se zahva- ljujem za povabilo k pisanju tega uvodnika in za tlakovanje poti združevanja Umetnosti in Znanosti na področju veteri- narske ilustracije v naši reviji. Med pripravo uvodnika se je nabralo veliko gradiva in idej na to tematiko, zato bo sledilo podrobnejše nadaljevanje v eni od prihodnjih številk revije. Zaključujem pa s citatom ameriškega kirurga in medicin- skega ilustratorja Franka H. Netterja. “Rišite, česar se ne vidi, glejte, kar še ni bilo narejeno, in na tisočim povejte o tem, ne da bi rekli besedo.” Dr. Frank H. Netter SloVetRes_NOTRANJOST ver2.indd 7 09/05/2023 10:14