Publication: Mujeres olvidadas. Ana Mª Somoza Soler (1921-2020)
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2021
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Abstract
Ana Mª Somoza Soler (1921-2020) fue una gran ilustradora científica, aunque desconocida y olvidada hasta el día de hoy. Estudió Ciencias Naturales en la Universidad Central, donde debió iniciarse como ilustradora al colaborar en la edición del “Tratado de Paleontología” de Bermudo Meléndez (1947), junto las hermanas Ascensión Mª y Mª del Carmen Benito Arzá, que han pasado tan inadvertidas como ella durante casi un siglo.
Posteriormente trabajó como fotógrafa y dibujante en las facultades de Medicina, de Ciencias Naturales y en el C.S.I.C., hasta 1955 en que renunció a esta parte de su vida y decidió dedicarse por entero a las Bellas Artes. Lamentablemente no pudo superar las dificultades que podía entrañar una decisión así para una mujer sola en aquellos difíciles años de posguerra. Aunque dibujó retratos y presentó dibujos y pinturas en concursos, que ganaba a veces, pidió becas e intentó hacer oposiciones, no pudo remontar, no terminó sus estudios de Arte, y finalmente debió perder hasta la casa familiar.
Entre 1998 y 2006 inscribió 28 títulos en el Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual. Todos escritos a mano. Su precaria vida no favoreció la conservación de estos trabajos, sin embargo, no llegó a perder todo. Se han encontrado fotocopias de muchas de esas obras inscritas, casi completas, (con algunos textos y dibujos originales intercalados), tres acuarelas (que indican un gran dominio del color), 15 grabados, la fotografía de un cuadro expuesto (quizás en algún concurso), y un apunte de “esqueleto de león”, único vestigio material de su experiencia como dibujante de fósiles.
Durante casi un siglo persiguió el reconocimiento de su trabajo y de su arte, que no se produjo hasta un año después de su muerte, gracias a esos trabajos realizados en la Universidad, que despertaron el interés por su búsqueda y finalmente la dieron a conocer y pusieron en valor su obra.
Ana Mª Somoza Soler (1921-2020) was a great scientific illustrator, although unknown and forgotten to this day. She studied Natural Sciences at the Central University, where she must have started out as an illustrator when she collaborated in the edition of "Tratado de Paleontología" (Bermudo Meléndez, 1947), together with the sisters Ascensión Mª and Mª del Carmen Benito Arzá, who have gone unnoticed like her for almost a century. She later worked as a photographer and draughtswoman in the faculties of Medicine, Natural Sciences and the C.S.I.C., until 1955 when she gave up this part of her life and decided to devote herself entirely to the Fine Arts. Unfortunately, she was unable to overcome the difficulties that such a decision could entail for a single woman in those difficult post-war years. Although she drew portraits and entered drawings and paintings in competitions, which she sometimes won, applied for scholarships and tried to take competitive examinations, she was unable to get back on her feet, did not finish her art studies, and eventually had to lose even the family home. Between 1998 and 2006 he registered 28 titles in the Intellectual Property Register. All of them handwritten. His precarious life did not favour the conservation of these works, however, he did not lose everything. Photocopies have been found of many of these registered works, almost complete, (with some texts and original drawings interspersed), three watercolours (indicating a great mastery of colour), 15 engravings, a photograph of a painting exhibited (perhaps in a competition), and a sketch of a "lion skeleton", the only material vestige of his experience as a fossil artist. For almost a century she pursued the recognition of her work and her art, which did not come about until a year after her death, thanks to these works carried out at the University, which awakened interest in her research and finally made her work known and valued.
Ana Mª Somoza Soler (1921-2020) was a great scientific illustrator, although unknown and forgotten to this day. She studied Natural Sciences at the Central University, where she must have started out as an illustrator when she collaborated in the edition of "Tratado de Paleontología" (Bermudo Meléndez, 1947), together with the sisters Ascensión Mª and Mª del Carmen Benito Arzá, who have gone unnoticed like her for almost a century. She later worked as a photographer and draughtswoman in the faculties of Medicine, Natural Sciences and the C.S.I.C., until 1955 when she gave up this part of her life and decided to devote herself entirely to the Fine Arts. Unfortunately, she was unable to overcome the difficulties that such a decision could entail for a single woman in those difficult post-war years. Although she drew portraits and entered drawings and paintings in competitions, which she sometimes won, applied for scholarships and tried to take competitive examinations, she was unable to get back on her feet, did not finish her art studies, and eventually had to lose even the family home. Between 1998 and 2006 he registered 28 titles in the Intellectual Property Register. All of them handwritten. His precarious life did not favour the conservation of these works, however, he did not lose everything. Photocopies have been found of many of these registered works, almost complete, (with some texts and original drawings interspersed), three watercolours (indicating a great mastery of colour), 15 engravings, a photograph of a painting exhibited (perhaps in a competition), and a sketch of a "lion skeleton", the only material vestige of his experience as a fossil artist. For almost a century she pursued the recognition of her work and her art, which did not come about until a year after her death, thanks to these works carried out at the University, which awakened interest in her research and finally made her work known and valued.