Administered by City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation The Arsenal - Central Park New York New York 10021
Located Columbus Circle Eighth Avenue & 59th Street New York New York
Date:
1892. Dedicated Oct. 12, 1892. Rededicated June 1991
Notes:
Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985
The City of New York, Department of Parks, 1941.
Gayle, Margot & Michele Cohen, "Guide to Manhattan's Outdoor Sculpture," New York: Prentice Hall, 1988, pg. 263-264.
National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, NY5017, 1989.
Monumental News, May 1908, pg. 369.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, New York, New York survey, 1992.
Image on file.
Gayle, Margot & Michele Cohen, "Guide to Manhattan's Outdoor Sculpture," New York: Prentice Hall, 1988, pg. 263.
(On bronze reliefs on base:) Russo. Invento E Sculpi Roma 1894/ Fond/Nelli/Roma (On base:) High Up On A Shaft/A Christoforo Colombo (West side of base:) A/Christoforo Colombo/Gl' Italiani Residenti In America/Irriso Prima/Minacciato Durante Il Viaggio/Ancatenato Dopo/Sapendo Esser Generoso Quanto Oppresso/Donava Un Mondo As Mondo/La Gioia E La Gloria/Non Ebbero Mai Piu Sollenne Grido/Di Quello Che Risuono In Vista/Della Prima Isola Americana/Terre! Terra!/Nel 12 Ottobre 1892/Quarto Centenario/Della Scoperta D'America/A Imperitura Memoria (On the east side of base:) To/Christopher Columbus/The Italians Resident In Ameria/Scoffed At Before,/During The Voyage, Menaced,/After It, Chained, /As Generous As Oppressed,/To The World He Gave A World./Joy And Glory/Never Uttered A more Thrilling Call/Than That Which Resounded From The Conquered Ocean/In Sight Of The First American Island/Land! Land!/Of The XII Of October MDCCCXCII/The Fourth Centenary Of The Discovery Of America/In Imperishable Remembrance (On the west side of base:) Per iniziativa/del progresso Italo Americano/II primo giornale Italiano quotidiano/negli Stati Uniti/Cav. Carlo Barsotti Editora e Proprietario signed Founder's mark appears.
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary:
A column surmounted by a statue of Columbus. On the south side of the base is a youth with wings examining a globe, symbolizing the Genius of Discovery. On the base are two reliefs tablets. One depicts Columbus putting ashore and giving thanks to God while natives peer from behind foliage. The other depicts the Nina, Pinta, and, Santa Maria setting sail from Spain. The column itself is ornamented with three pairs of bronze rostra, beak-like prows of ancient ships. The base is surrounded by fountains of splashing water.
