Christopher Columbus

Unidentified, Christopher Columbus, ca. 1893, plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the heirs of Albert Laessle: Mrs. Albertine de Bempt Laessle, Mr. Albert M. Laessle and Mr. Paul Laessle, 1972.167.75
Copied Unidentified, Christopher Columbus, ca. 1893, plaster, 2 7⁄8 in. (7.3 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the heirs of Albert Laessle: Mrs. Albertine de Bempt Laessle, Mr. Albert M. Laessle and Mr. Paul Laessle, 1972.167.75
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Artwork Details

Title
Christopher Columbus
Artist
Unidentified
Date
ca. 1893
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2 7⁄8 in. (7.3 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the heirs of Albert Laessle: Mrs. Albertine de Bempt Laessle, Mr. Albert M. Laessle and Mr. Paul Laessle
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — other — explorer
  • Portrait male — Columbus, Christopher — full length
Object Number
1972.167.75
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1972.167.75

Artwork Description

Research has not revealed the purpose for which this plaster design  was created. It was likely created around 1893, when the Chicago World’s Fair celebrated four hundred years of European presence in the New World. Throughout the 1890s, images of Columbus appeared across the country to commemorate the nation’s beginnings.