Marie Curie
(1867 – 1934)
Jack Kamen Artwork
Marie Curie was a Polish-born French physicist. Famous for her work with radioactivity, she focused on the chemistry of radioactive substances and their use in medicine. Curie worked alongside her husband Pierre and together they discovered the elements of polonium and radium.
Breaking Barriers for Women
At the start of her career, Curie had to fight for even the most rudimentary of laboratory space. Once she met her husband, Pierre Curie, he helped her gain recognition for her work. Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person, man or woman, to win the award twice. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.
Explore Additional Portraits in the Collection
Albert Einstein
Christa McAuliffe
Leonardo Da Vinci
These portraits were commissioned by Dean Kamen for the SEE Science Center. The artist is Jack Kamen (1920-2008), an American graphic artist and Dean’s father. The series was created to inspire children through the stories of scientists and engineers whose work changed the world. While many of the pieces represent men, the duo worked hard to identify female scientists. Had Jack not passed, their goal was to continue to increase representation within the collection. The original artwork is on display at the SEE Science Center in the Jack Kamen Portrait Gallery.