by: Michele Hu, Preethi Singh, Giuseppe Fiorica, Rebekah Wallner
In the painting, Columbus before the Queen, Leutze epitomizes the power and influence the Spaniards had during the height of the Spanish empire. The picture portrays Christopher Columbus informing King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella about his third voyage to the New World. Columbus is pictured in the center of this painting, and it is quite evident that most people in the room are listening to him attentively. This event is most likely taking place in the royal palace due to the elaborate décor of the surroundings.
At the time of interpreting the painting, we were unaware of the title. However, it was apparent to us that the man pictured in the center of the painting was informing a king and a queen about something of great importance. After uncovering the painting’s true title, we realized that certain components of the painting were rather mystifying to us. For example, because Columbus is delivering news of the new world to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, one would expect every member in the painting to be ecstatic. However, surprisingly, this is not the case. Most notably is Queen Isabella who looks rather perturbed during Columbus’s delivery of the news. This is astonishing because according to the title, Columbus is directly addressing the Queen.
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