Homenaje a Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney en Huelva por su 150º aniversario

The Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, participated in the inauguration of the tribute sculpture to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, author of the Columbus Monument in Huelva. Organized by the Port of Huelva, chaired by Alberto Santana, the inauguration of this sculpture was also attended by the Mayor of Huelva, Pilar Miranda, the Sports and Management Unit Deputy of La Rábida of the Provincial Council of Huelva, Juan Daniel Romero, and the intervention of the great-granddaughter of the American sculptor, Whitney Miller Douglass.

The artwork, which pays homage to the American artist in the year of the 150th anniversary of her birth, was created by the sculptor from La Palma del Condado, Martín Lagares. Inspired by the inauguration day of the monument, which took place on April 21, 1929, it consists of a reproduction of the figure of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney from a photograph taken that day, where the sculptor is seen next to the sketch of the Columbus Monument. After being cast in bronze, the new sculpture, 1.80 meters high, has been located at Punta del Sebo, very close to the famous Columbus Monument.

The Minister of Culture and Sports highlighted, during the inauguration of this piece, the importance of «paying tribute to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a modern woman who chose a free and independent way of life, positioning herself with her own name at the forefront of international culture in the first half of the 20th century«. Del Pozo congratulated Huelva «for bringing back to Andalucia this artist and patron almost a century after she was last in our land, and for doing it, precisely, in the artistic form in which she was a true master: sculpture».

For Del Pozo, the philanthropic work of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the pioneering Whitney Museum of American Modern Art in New York, has sometimes overshadowed her work as a sculptor, «something that has never happened in Huelva, a city proud to have the only work by this author in Spain: the Columbus Monument, an extraordinary piece that recalls a colossal feat, while celebrating a shared past between Spain and America».

The Mayor of Huelva, Pilar Miranda, stated that, with Miss Whitney’s sculpture, homage is paid to the author of the Columbus Monument whose presence and work «constituted a real feminine turning point in Huelva in 1929«. The mayor of Huelva highlighted the importance of this monument to the adopted daughter of Huelva: «It has an important avenue named after her in the city, but with this sculpture and in this space, we ensure that she is permanently present».

Miranda emphasized that «the City Council and the Port must be an indissoluble duo to build the future of Huelva» and that they must «continue working to make projects that are a priority for both the Port of Huelva and the City Council a reality, putting Huelva above all». The mayor also congratulated Martín Lagares, the author of the monument, «for adorning this tribute from sculptor to sculptress with beauty, with this work that she would feel proud and happy about».

The President of the Port of Huelva, Alberto Santana, stated that with this sculpture, «we pay a well-deserved tribute to a brave woman, committed to art and ahead of her time, and we also take the opportunity to continue bringing the Port closer to the city, enriching the surroundings of the Columbus Monument with content, such as artistic and historical elements, to promote its visitation and tourist promotion in a space of great value for the history of Huelva and the province, as it recalls our close relationship with the American continent». In this context, the President of the Port of Huelva recalled that, recently, the La Rábida Cross was inaugurated in this place, marking the beginning of the Columbus Route to the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Cinta, patroness of Huelva.

The Sports and Management Unit Deputy of La Rábida of the Provincial Council of Huelva, Juan Daniel Romero, stated that «Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney left an indelible legacy in Huelva with the Columbus Monument. This sculpture in her honor pays tribute to her memory and enriches our heritage. From the Provincial Council of Huelva, we continue working to strengthen the historical and cultural ties with America, and this work pays homage to someone who left an indelible mark on our province and enriches a public space deeply linked to our common history with America».

Likewise, the sculptor’s great-granddaughter, Whitney Miller Douglass, thanked the Port of Huelva and the rest of the institutions and entities for this tribute to her great-grandmother, highlighting her professionalism, as she was a person «very dedicated to her art and worked diligently on her sculptures many hours a day», in addition to extensively researching «her themes, especially monuments, like that of Christopher Columbus, the Titanic Memorial, and Buffalo Bill».

Sculptor and philanthropist

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was born in New York on January 9, 1875, into a wealthy family: her grandfather was the railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. In 1896, at the age of 21, she married Harry Payne Whitney, another wealthy heir as well as a banker, lawyer, and investor. Although she was always drawn to art, she did not start sculpting until the early 20th century, after a trip to Paris, where she came into contact with the artistic bohemian scene and befriended Rodin.

In 1914, she established the ‘Whitney Studio Club’ in New York, a place where emerging American authors could exhibit their work, the foundation of the future Whitney Museum of American Modern Art, which was established in 1931, after the Metropolitan Museum of Art refused to accept her contemporary art collection as a donation.

Among her works as a sculptor, in addition to the Columbus Monument in Huelva, inaugurated in 1929, are ‘The Aztec Fountain’ (Washington, 1914), ‘The Three Graces’ (Washington Plaza in Lima, 1913), the ‘El Dorado Fountain’ (San Francisco, 1915), and the ‘Monument to the landing of the American troops’ (Saint Nazaire, 1926), among others.

Vanderbilt Whitney passed away in New York in 1942. She was recognized by the city of Huelva as an Adopted Daughter on April 26, 1929. The city of Huelva also dedicated a street in her name, named on February 28, 1930.