A World of Visual Wonders

Marie Neurath

Marie Neurath (1898–1986) was a ground-breaking graphic designer who permanently transformed the face of science communication for children and what is now widely recognized as visual education.

Her work as a transformer started in Vienna in the 1920s when she began collaborating with Otto Neurath. The method of visual explanation they and others developed became known as ‘Isotype’ (International System of Typographic Picture Education). Otto and Marie Neurath established the Isotype Institute in 1942 after they escaped to England from Nazi-occupied Europe.

In Oxford, the Neuraths developed ideas for children’s books about science, technology and other non-fiction topics. After Otto Neurath’s death in 1945, Marie Neurath continued their work in London until the late 1960s. She directed a team of writers and illustrators who produced more than eighty children’s books. Read more on www.marieneurath.org

The Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) is a visual language based on pictograms and illustrations designed to make knowledge democratic and universal. The system is grounded in the famous motto “Words divide, pictures unite.” It is a revolutionary educational method: it eliminates the superfluous, transforms scientific data into clear and compelling visual narratives, and breaks down linguistic and cultural barriers.

Quinto Quarto has secured the international rights, including the original English rights, to relaunch and republish Marie Neurath’s educational books in Italy and worldwide. The project begins with the release of three of Neurath’s earliest iconic works in Italian, carefully restored in respect of the original colour palette and aesthetic, while introducing a contemporary graphic reinterpretation.

 

               

To explore what the eye cannot see. A bridge between science and visual magic.

Too Small to See/Piccolissimo, anzi invisibile
Quinto Quarto, April 2026

The cross-section as a tool for discovery.

If You Could See Inside/E se potessi guardare dentro?
Quinto Quarto, April 2026

A masterful guide to the mechanics and phenomena of the modern world, presented with the legendary clarity of the Isotype system.

This is How It Works/Ecco come funziona!
Quinto Quarto, April 2026