Too ugly Christopher Columbus statue finds home after 20 years
A colossal statue of explorer Christopher Columbus has finally found a home in Puerto Rico after a two decade quest and a string of rejections because it was deemed too ugly.
The 600-ton monument, which stands at 350 ft tall, was given to the United States as a gift of friendship by its Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli.
But the bronze creation, designed to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the New World in 1492, was shunned by cities across America before finally being accepted by Puerto Rico.
The statue depicts a towering Columbus at the wheel of a ship, three sails billowing behind him but critics complain that the arms are too long, the head too small and the explorer's pose – one hand raised in a stiff-armed greeting – makes him look ridiculous.
In Columbus, Ohio, it was rejected after earning the moniker "Chris Kong". The people of Baltimore, Maryland, similarly turned it down, but not before it was dubbed: "From Russia with Ugh".
Standing at twice the height of The Statue of Liberty without its base, the giant was also offered to New York, and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami but all three declined to have it darken their skylines....
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
The 600-ton monument, which stands at 350 ft tall, was given to the United States as a gift of friendship by its Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli.
But the bronze creation, designed to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the New World in 1492, was shunned by cities across America before finally being accepted by Puerto Rico.
The statue depicts a towering Columbus at the wheel of a ship, three sails billowing behind him but critics complain that the arms are too long, the head too small and the explorer's pose – one hand raised in a stiff-armed greeting – makes him look ridiculous.
In Columbus, Ohio, it was rejected after earning the moniker "Chris Kong". The people of Baltimore, Maryland, similarly turned it down, but not before it was dubbed: "From Russia with Ugh".
Standing at twice the height of The Statue of Liberty without its base, the giant was also offered to New York, and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami but all three declined to have it darken their skylines....