The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
One of a number of large paintings Dali completed in this era The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus stands a massive 14 feet tall by 9 feet wide. The painting was commissioned by Huntington Hartford, an American businessman, who was heir to the A&P Supermarket, for the opening of his museum, Gallery of Modern Art, in New York. The museum was located on Columbus circle, hence the inspiration for the subject of the painting. As a devout Roman Catholic, Dali portrayed Columbus as the Christian savior, bringing the true church and salvation to the new world. The painting now resides at the Salvador Dali Museum, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Radi Nedelchev
1975
