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Primary sourcePainting12 February 1910

Portrait of Marie Curie in Les Hommes du Jour

Aristide Delannoy · 12 February 1910

A 1910 magazine portrait of Marie Curie published in the French periodical Les Hommes du Jour, showing how the press pictured her.

This magazine portrait shows how Marie Curie was depicted in the French press after her second Nobel Prize.

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Black-and-white line drawing of a woman's face in profile-leaning three-quarter view, with hair swept up and back, large eyes, and a serious expression. Printed magazine cover titled 'Les Hommes du Jour' at top; caption below reads 'Madame Pierre CURIE'.
Aristide Delannoy, portrait of Marie Curie, Les Hommes du Jour, 12 February 1910.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white line drawing portrait of Marie Curie made by Aristide Delannoy, published on the cover of the French magazine Les Hommes du Jour in February 1910. The caption identifies her as 'Madame Pierre Curie'.

Why it matters

Published the year after she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, this portrait shows how the press represented Curie to the public. Notably, the caption names her through her husband rather than by her own scientific title, reflecting the attitudes of the time toward women in science.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the caption identifies her as 'Madame Pierre Curie' rather than by her own name or achievements?
  • What does the style of the drawing suggest about how magazines of this era portrayed famous figures?
  • What is left out of this portrait that a biography might include?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marie Curie on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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