by: Andrew Palacios, Samuel Meyerovich, Ashir Raffe, Daniel Ostrom
The historical significance of this piece is one that echoes the discovery of the New World. This discovery, in turn, sparked the interest of Europeans to build what is America today. For that reason, it is incredible how Columbus is the centerpiece of the painting and is thus wearing bright red clothing. The artist's intentions for this piece is to demonstrate the power that the New World – America – already has despite not being influenced by colonization. This is further presented by the use of bright colors around Columbus and those near him. The proud look of the subject of the painting is contrasted by the varying expressions of the king, queen, and royal subjects. Nevertheless, this is a powerful piece due to the foreshadowing of American values, culture, and civilization that will begin to emerge in the near future within the context of this masterpiece.
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