Discovery of America, Marble sculpture at the National Mall, United States.
Discovery of America is a marble sculpture showing a standing figure of Christopher Columbus beside a woman representing Native Americans, mounted on a rectangular pedestal. The work sits on the east side of the Capitol building and forms part of the site's sculptural collection.
Italian sculptor Luigi Persico created this neoclassical work in 1844 for the Capitol's east facade. Its creation came during a period of westward territorial expansion of the United States.
The sculpture shows how 19th-century artists understood the meeting between European explorers and Native Americans of the time. It reflects the way people then interpreted this historical encounter through their own perspective.
The sculpture is accessible via public transportation, with multiple Metro stations and bus stops within walking distance of the National Mall. The later afternoon hours offer fewer crowds and better light for viewing and photographs.
The marble for this sculpture was carefully selected from Italian quarries and transported across the Atlantic. The artist followed neoclassical conventions that were widespread in Europe at the time of creation.
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