Monument to Christopher Columbus

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Art · Subcategory: Sculpture · Year: 1892 · Authors: Paolo Triscornia di Ferdinando

[...] is made by a simple octagonal column which is divided up horizontally into three parts. The lower section is a decoration made up of borders that denote a certain classism. A jutting out palm leaf crosses the middle of the column, alluding to the tree from which Gran Canaria's capital takes its name. On this side of the octagon an iscription reads "To Colón. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1892". The bust rises up above a small triangular base and plant decoration, wrapped in a pompously chisled cape with deeply cut folds providing a play on light and dark. The admiral is displayed with long hair, a hooked nose and his eyes looking into infinity. In perfect proportion, his physical appearance clearly responds to portraits of him handed down through history.

Considering that this is the oldest monument on the island, it is in quite good condition, although the marble structure are indeed stained due to contamination. Another negative aspect to point out is the disappearance of the iron fence that used to surround it. It was commissioned by promoters of the San Antonio de Sevilla Foundation, it couldn't be erected until 1893, the year the Town Hall assumed part responsibility to coverits costs.

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