Columbus Quincentenary Photo Gallery

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The Departure of Columbus from Palos in 1492

by Emanuel Leutze

The picture shown above was painted in 1855 by Emanuel Leutze. It shows Christopher Columbus on the deck of the Santa Maria on August 3, 1492, the day he departed from Spain on his famous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The artist gave the painting a title which described exactly what was taking place -- "The Departure of Columbus From Palos, in 1492." Palos was a little town in southern Spain near the border of Portugal. When Columbus first arrived in Spain in 1485, he stayed in Palos for a time. It was also the town where most of the sailors lived who went along with Columbus on his first voyage. In fact, Palos was forced to give Columbus two ships, the Nina and the Pinta, as payment for a debt owed the King and Queen. Today, just outside Palos where the river flows into the ocean, there is a statue of Christopher Columbus looking towards the Americas at the spot from which he sailed on that August day.

Some poeple consider this one of the greatest pictures ever painted of Christopher Columbus. They call it a "portrait of courage" because it shows Columbus at his greatest moment of bravery and courage. He is about to do something very dangerous and, according to many people, impossible. It was Columbus' moment of great achievement. Being an immigrant to Spain, he overcame the odds against him to gain the support of the King and Queen as well as 89 sailors willing to risk their lives to carry out this dangerous voyage. Columbus arrived at this moment in his life after many years of study and investigation. He remained patient and determined despite many setbacks.

About the painter, Emanuel Leutze

Emanuel Leutze is probably best known for his painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware". You will see several similarities in the paintings. He also painted a mural in our Nation's Capitol, Washington, DC, namely, "Westward Ho" (Westward The Path of Empire Takes"). Leutze, a German immigrant to the United States, was fascinated by Christopher Columbus, and painted a series of portraits dealing with events in the life of the great explorer.

Columbus' Crew of 1492 - A Re-enactment!

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Ninety children from the Columbus Elementary School, Columbus, New Jersey, recreate the crew of the 1492 Voyage of Discovery. Standing in an outline of each of the ships, created to scale, there are 24 children standing on the deck of the Nina; 26 on the Pinta and 40 on the Santa Maria. Joe Laufer, portraying Chirstopher Columbus, holds the flag of Queen Isabella.

Here I am, as Christopher Columbus, with the kids from Columbus Elementary School, Columbus, New Jersey, as they celebrate the Quincentenary in 1992 and giving an autograph to a girl in St. Augustine, Florida.

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This is me at the airport at San Salvador, the small island in the Bahamas where Columbus is purported to have landed on the morning of October 12, 1492. The island was called "Guanahani" by the native Taino Indians, but upon landing, out of gratitude to the Saviour for a safe voyage, Columbus named it "San Salvador". For a time, in more recent history, it was also known as Watlings Island. There is much controversy concerning the actual landing site of Columbus (see "The Columbus Landfall Homepage" referenced on the previous page for details on the various landfall theories).