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Monument to Columbus

Monument to Columbus is a 37-metre-high monument in Huelva, Spain, created by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Funded by a popular subscription in the United States through the Columbus Memorial Fund Inc., it was built between 1927 and 1929. The monument stands on Punta del Sebo, at the confluence of the Tinto and Odiel rivers, and was inaugurated on 21 April 1929 in the حضور of Prime Minister Miguel Primo de Rivera and US ambassador Ogden H. Hammond. It consists of a mortar structure covered with ashlar masonry in calcarenite. The sculpted man leaning on a Tau cross has been interpreted as a friar from La Rábida, though it was originally identified by the artist as Christopher Columbus.

Monument to Columbus, a tall stone sculpture on a rectangular base in an open plaza with trees and a blue sky.
Monument to Columbus in Huelva, shown here with its tall stone figure and carved base beneath a bright sky.
May 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monument to Columbus rising from a stone-walled platform surrounded by water under a bright blue sky.
The Monument to Columbus stands on a stone platform surrounded by water on a clear day.
July 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monument to Columbus seen from below, framed by palm trees against a blue sky.
The Monument to Columbus rises above the surrounding palms in Huelva, Spain.
January 2014 © Jose A. · CC BY 2.0
The Monument to Columbus rises on a tiered base beneath a cloudy sky, with palm trees and distant water in the background.
The Monument to Columbus at Puntal del Sebo in Huelva, seen from a low angle with trees and water beyond.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Information sign for the Monument to Columbus with the statue in the background against a blue sky.
An information sign for the Monument to Columbus stands in front of the statue in Huelva.
January 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMonument to Columbus
SubjectChristopher Columbus
Alternative namesMonument to the Discovering Faith; Monumento a Colón; Monumento a la Fe Descubridora
TypeMonument; commemorative sculpture

Historical context

Idea proposed byWilliam Hussey Page
Idea date1917
Idea circumstancesDuring a business trip to Spain, William Hussey Page traveled to La Rábida in Palos de la Frontera after missing the ship that was to take him back to New York.
Commissioned byColumbus Memorial Foundation
FundingFunded by popular subscription in the United States through the Columbus Memorial Fund Inc.; the Columbus Memorial Foundation financed it largely
DonationDonated by the United States to Spain in 1929
Commissioned year1927

Creator

ArtistGertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
Artist nationalityAmerican
Construction supervisorFlorence J. McAuliffe
Construction supervisionOn site

Physical characteristics

Pedestal reliefsBas-reliefs representing either the Aztec, Inca, Maya, and Christian cultures, or the four continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, and America
Associated sculptural groupIncludes a sculptural group representing the Catholic Monarchs
InteriorHollow pedestal with motifs related to the discovery and the names of the discoverers who traveled on the caravels and the members of the Columbus Memorial Foundation
Iconographic figureA human figure leaning on a Tau cross
StructureMortar structure covered with calcarenite ashlar masonry
HeightApproximately 37 metres

Materials

MaterialsCalcarenite ashlar masonry over a mortar structure; built with stones from Niebla, Huelva province

Technique

Construction period1927 to 1929; much of 1928 and early 1929

Appearance

StyleGenerally classified as Cubist art; some sources say it was inspired by ancient Egyptian sculpture
CompositionA human figure standing on a Tau-shaped cross (a Franciscan symbol)

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationThe sculpted man was originally described, including by the artist herself, as Christopher Columbus; it is sometimes described as a friar from La Rábida. Whitney said it is a statue dedicated to Columbus with broad symbolic significance, and it is commonly identified with Christopher Columbus
Naming historyThe work is known under two names in different sources, sometimes interchangeably and sometimes with one treated as primary; some sources regard Monumento a Colón as the popular and best-known name in Huelva, while others consider it erroneous and treat Monumento a la Fe Descubridora as the official name or subtitle. Some research argues Monumento a Colón is the original name and Monumento a la Fe Descubridora is secondary, possibly deriving from a 1970 note by José María Segovia; contemporary press at the 1929 inauguration used only Monumento a Colón.

Location and ownership

Donated toSpain
SiteAt Punta del Sebo in the Ría de Huelva, where the Tinto and Odiel rivers meet, about 4 kilometres from the urban center
SettingPlaced on an artificial platform built over the former natural beach; erected when the area was still a natural beach space
LocationPunta del Sebo, Huelva, Spain, on the outskirts of the city

History and restoration

Inauguration date21 April 1929
Inauguration attendeesPrime Minister Miguel Primo de Rivera and US ambassador Ogden H. Hammond
Heritage designationInscribed in 2016 in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage as a Site of Cultural Interest, within the Historical Site of the Columbian Sites
Cultural designationDeclared or considered a Bien de Interés Cultural

Significance

Cultural significanceOne of the most notable symbols of the city of Huelva

Other

Interview sourceBlanco y Negro
Interview timingOne day before the inauguration