Discovery of America (statue)
- Discovery of America (statue)
-
Discovery of America
An illustration of the statue
|
| Artist |
Luigi Persico |
| Year |
1844 |
| Type |
White marble |
| Dimensions |
4.8 meters [1] cm (??) |
| Location |
Formerly East Facade of the United States Capitol
(In storage), Washington, DC |
Discovery of America (1837–50) is a large marble sculpture group assembled in front of the east façade of the United States Capitol building and exhibited there from 1844 until 1958 when it was removed and never restored.
Description
Both
Discovery (left) and
Rescue (right) are visible in this image of
Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inauguration.
The statue depicts Christopher Columbus holding aloft a globe as an Indian maiden, cowering nearby, looks on. The depiction of Columbus is very different from the traditional portraits, rendering him as a bearded, hawk-faced and stern-eyed figure clad in traditional Conquistador armour. Usually Columbus is shown in flowing Renaissance robes with an astrolabe or a spyglass in hand to represent his title of "Admiral of the Ocean".
History
After years of protest, in 1958, both Discovery and another statue of similar nature, The Rescue by Horatio Greenough, were removed from the east façade in preparation for the building’s extension. They were placed in storage and — without public discussion — never restored.[2]
Fate
The statue is said to be in poor condition[3].
References
- ^ http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=CO&record=usdc04
- ^ Fryd, Op.cit., pg 93.
- ^ Fryd, Op. cit., pg 96.
Categories:
- Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
- United States Capitol statues
- 1844 works
- Depictions of Christopher Columbus
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Military history of South America — The Battle of Chacabuco, 1817, during the Chilean War of Independence, a war often fought across harsh and difficult terrain. The military history of South America can be divided into two major periods pre and post Columbian divided by the… … Wikipedia
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, country in N. America. This article is arranged according to the following outline: introduction Colonial Era, 1654–1776 Early National Period, 1776–1820 German Jewish Period, 1820–1880 East European Jewish Period,… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Kamehameha Statue — The Kamehameha Statue stands prominently in front of Aliokinaiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaiokinai. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100 year… … Wikipedia
Colossal quartzite statue of Amenhotep III — Colossal quartzite head of Amenhotep III in the British Museum The 18th Dynasty Ancient Egyptian colossal quartzite statue of Amenhotep III, dating from c.1350 BC, was found in the massive mortuary temple of the pharaoh Amenhotep III on the West… … Wikipedia
Christopher Columbus — This article is about the explorer. For other uses, see Christopher Columbus (disambiguation). Christopher Columbus … Wikipedia
Columbus, Ohio — Columbus City … Wikipedia
United States Capitol — Infobox Historic building name=United States Capitol caption=The west face of the United States Capitol map type= latitude= longitude= location town=Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. location country=United States of America architect=William… … Wikipedia
Thomas Browne — Infobox Scientist name = PAGENAME box width = image width =150px caption = Portrait of Sir Thomas Browne birth date = October 19, 1605 birth place = London death date = October 19, 1682 death place = residence = citizenship = nationality =… … Wikipedia
Barranquilla — Municipality and city From top left: The Maria Reina Cathedral, the North Barranquilla, the port along Magdalena River, the costums, the Paseo Bolivar and cultur … Wikipedia
La Rábida Monastery — La Rábida La Rábida Monastery (in full, Monasterio de Santa María de la Rábida) is a Franciscan monastery in the southern Spanish town of Palos de la Frontera, in the province of Huelva and the autonomous region of Andalucia. The monastery is… … Wikipedia
