Emanuel Leutze was born in Schwabisch-Gmund, Germany in 1816. In 1825, at the age of 9, he emigrated to the United States, settling in Philadelphia. From 1837 to 1839 he was an itinerant portraitist in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1841, he returned to Germany, enrolling in the Dusseldorf Academy. He spent the next 18 years of his life between Germany, Italy and the United States (1859-1868). He died in Washington, D.C. on July 18, 1868.

While most famous in the United States for his paintings of Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) and Westward Ho (Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way ) (1862), in our nation's capital, he was fascinated by the life of Christopher Columbus and painted at least 7 scenes from his life.

1. Columbus Before the Council of Salamanca (1842) (1841?) Unlocated

2. Third Return of Columbus from America (1842)

Also known as "The Return of Columbus in Chains to Cadiz"

Appeared on the 1892 U.S. Postage stamp ($2.00) as one of a series commemorating the 400^th anniversary of Columbus' landing in the New World.

The original painting was offered in a fund-raising "drawing" sponsored by the Apollo Association of New York and Providence, R.I. It was won by Richard J. Arnold of Providence, R.I. It became the property of his daughter who married a William Talbot of Philadelphia. William R. Talbot, Jr. was listed as the owner in a book published in 1959. It was said to be hanging in the living room of the Talbot House at 24^th and Delancy St., Philadelphia.

3. Columbus Before the Queen (1843)

Also known as "King Ferdinand Removing the Chains from Columbus"

It was once in the Dusseldorf Gallery. The owner is listed as James H. Frier.

Currently in the Brooklyn Museum.

4. Columbus at the Gate of the Monastery of La Rabida (1844) Unlocated

5. Reception of Columbus on His First Return From America (1847)

Also known as "The Festive Return of Columbus After his First Discovery of America".

Last known to be in the Dusseldorf Gallery.

6. Departure of Columbus from Palos (1855) (1853)

There were said to be two versions of this painting.

One was listed as being owned by the Charles Gould Family, then by John DeLorian (American auto entrepreneur). Purchased by a Japanese art collector c. 1990. During the Columbus Quincentenary it was on display in several venues, including Columbia University and The National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. ("The West As America" exhibit). Currently in the private collection of the unknown Japanese collector.

7. First Landing of Columbus in America (1863) Unlocated

Resources:

I have spent numerous hours researching the Columbus paintings of Emanuel Leutze. The three main resources from which I was able to piece together the above summary are:

1. The Columbus Gallery. Author: N. Ponce DeLeon. Published in 1893. A record of monuments, statues & portraits of Columbus at the time of the 400^th anniversary celebration.

2. Portrait of Patriotism. Author: Ann Hawkes Hutton. Published in 1959. Primarily about Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware," but containing general historical data on his life and work.

3. Emanuel Leutze - 1816-1868 - "Freedom is the Only King". Author: Barbara S. Groseclose. Published in 1975. A definitive work on the life and work of Emanuel Leutze published for the National Collection of Fine Arts by the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.

More on Emanuel Leutze

In one issue of DISCOVERY FIVE HUNDRED I published two brief stories dealing with this subject. The first was on the international tour of "The Departure of Columbus From Palos" portrait. The other was a brief biography of Emanuel Leutze. You can access these articles by going to the CIRS archive where they appear in Volume V, Number 3, Summer, 1990.

Articles on Leutze in Discovery Five Hundred

Written February 7, 1999 - JML
Updated January 5, 2006 - JML