Christopher Columbus Gallery

The Christopher Columbus Gallery focuses on the reasons for adopting the name “Knights of Columbus,” and the patronage of the Catholic explorer by the Knights.

Subjects touched upon include the search for an American national identity through early symbolism; dedication of the Columbus Memorial Fountain in Washington, D.C.; and many of the various celebrations and observances associated with Columbus, including the 400th and 500th anniversary commemorations of Columbus' epic 1492 voyage.

Columbus Tiles
Ceramic, glazed polychrome enamel, c. late 15th-early 16th century
Cuenca-style (Spanish cell)
Bequest of Dr. Constantine E. McGuire

These ceramic tiles were purportedly brought by Columbus as ballast on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Later, they were used in decoration of the Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Church of Our Lady of the Rosary) built at the original site of Santo Domingo between 1499-1502.

Columbus had sent an exploring party to find a more suitable site for colonization after La Isabella failed and a location at the mouth of the east bank of the Ozama River was selected. Thus the “old city” of Santo Domingo came to be. It was later destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt on the other side of the river after that date. The church remained in ruins until sometime between 1820-1945, when it was reconstructed in its present state.

Cuenca-style tiles, a technique developed in Spain in the late 15th - early 16th century are the earliest of the commonly found tile types in the New World. They appear in New World Spanish colonial sites constructed between 1500 - 1575, and are distinguished by their stamped designs filled with polychrome enamel. This technique helped to keep the glazes from running together. Here, the design is naturalistic in motif and executed in shades of sienna, green and blue over a cream-color soft paste.

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In Sight of the New World
Oil on canvas, 1852
Peter Kohlbeck (German, active 1850-1878)

Kohlbeck took this composition from the original painting by the famous German historical painter Christian Ruben, circa 1840. It has been copied by countless artists over the years. Washington Irving used an engraving of the scene to illustrate his famous volumes on The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, published in 1892.

The story unfolds with Columbus and crew on deck watching intently for any sign of land. At about 10:00 p.m. the Admiral saw a faint moving light off in the distance. The moon was up and at about 2:00 p.m. a sailor, watching from the Pinta, spotted a sandy shore. The fears of the crew were banished with joyous anticipation as they awaited the dawn. The cry of “land” was shouted from ship to ship. The greatest landfall in history had taken place.

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Columbus in Chains
Ivory, wood of inlaid marquetry, c. mid-19th century
Vincent Garassini (Savona, 1819-1888)
Bequest of Msgr. Walter A. Funcke

Provenance: Originally presented to Pope Pius IX by the Catholics of Savona on the occasion of his Golden Sacerdotal Jubilee (1877); by him to the Almo Collegio Capranica (Savona); and by said college to Msgr. Walter A. Funcke (former New York state chaplain) in recognition of his interest in the Knights of Columbus.

The ivory figure of Columbus shows him with his wrists manacled to a heavy chain. He wears a brimmed, close-fitting hat, a ruffled collar, a long tunic under loose robes and leggings with soft strapped shoes. A medal is suspended from a chain about his neck, while and anchor and open-mouthed dolphin are at his feet.

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Christopher Columbus (With Astrolabe)
Bronze, limited edition-M 1/10, Don F. Wiegand (American, b. 1948)
1991

The astrolabe was used in medieval navigation, especially by the Arabs. Tradition says that Columbus used one to measure the altitude of the heavenly bodies; however, some believe that he employed a compass and common quadrant.

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