13 Inches High x 7 Inches Wide x 8 Inches Deep
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, created a statue of Christopher Columbus for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Exposition celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s 1492 arrival in the New World. The Providence-based Gorham Manufacturing Company commissioned Bartholdi to design the sculpture, which it would then cast in sterling silver for display at the World’s Fair to demonstrate the company’s superior craftsmanship. This silver cast was melted down after the Fair and a cast in bronze, a suitable outdoor material, was created for a public monument. The bronze measures 6 feet 8 inches (80 inches) in height. The local Elmwood Association gifted the bronze statue to Providence, and the dedication was held on November 8th, 1893. The sculpture was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. In the statue, Columbus is depicted in motion, stepping forward off the base. He holds a globe in his left hand, and he points with his right hand, his arm outstretched. The movement of his body and clothing makes for a compelling work of art.
Artist: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Location: Columbus Square in Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Time Period: Modern, 1893
Sources:
“Christopher Columbus, (sculpture).” Control Number: Inventory of American Sculpture 77001753. Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian American Art Museum and Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. https://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!12785~!0#focus.
“Columbus (Providence, Rhode Island).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_(Providence,_Rhode_Island).
United States. United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 10-900.” Columbus, completed by Ronald J. Onorato in April 1999. National Park Service, August 1986. http:///pdfs_zips_downloads/national_pdfs/providence/prov_elmwood-avenue_columbus-monument.pdf.