Activity 1: Discovery of the New World

Exploration 1: Compare and contrast two artistic depictions of the Spanish discovery of the New World.

Click to enlarge image.		Click to enlarge image.
Landing of Columbus on the Islands of Guanahani, West Indies, 1847. John Vanderlyn (1775-1852) U.S. Capitol Rotunda		The Disembarkation at Veracruz, 1951 Diego Rivera (1886-1957) Fresco National Palace, Mexico City

Questions to ask:

About the Vanderlyn painting:

• How does Vanderlyn depict Columbus?
• What does this image say about the motivations behind Columbus's voyage?
• How does the time that the image was created shape its depiction of Columbus's landing?

About the Diego Rivera painting:

• What characters does Diego Rivera include in his painting?
• How does he represent these various figures?
• What does the image tell us about the artist's attitude toward the Spanish Conquest?
• How does the time that the image was created shape its depiction of the Spanish landing at Vera Cruz?
  

This site was updated on 09-Feb-10.