OUR EXHIBITION ARTIFACTS
10 Artifacts to Illuminate our Exhibition
EL DORADO, THE CITY OF GOLD
Conquistador Armor, 1500s - 1800s
Metal
This armor was used by Spaniards while searching for the Americas and El Dorado, the lost city of gold. This armor was most popularly worn between 1530 and 1650, when several thousands of men decided to enter the unchartered lands of what is now known as South America.
EL DORADO, THE CITY OF GOLD
Patrick Bornemann
"Eldorado, the Lost City", N.D.
Plaster, Marble, Paint on Wood
23 W x 25 L x 1.5 in
This painting, entitled, Eldorado, the Lost City, showcases the beauty of the undiscovered city. Some believed that the city was said to be hidden behind a beautiful garden/jungle.
EL DORADO, THE CITY OF GOLD
Unknown
"The Muisca Raft", between 600 -1600
Discovered in 1969: Pasca, Columbia
Gold, Silver, and Copper
19.5 cm x 10.1 cm
This artifact from Columbia is part of the origin of the myth of El Dorado, as it depicts a mythical king clad on a golden raft. The king used to cover his body in gold dust, and from the raft, he offered treasures to the nearby goddess at the sacred lake. This old Muisca tradition became the origin of the legend of El Dorado.
EL DORADO, THE CITY OF GOLD
Nicolas Sanson
"Map of Guiana, Venezuela, and El Dorado", 1656
Engraving
40.6 cm x 54.6 cm
Nicolas Sanson, a French cartographer, created this map in 1656. This legendary lake in South America is reputedly known as the location of the the mythological city of El Dorado. El Dorado, also known as Manoa, is located on the northwest corner of the map of the lake.
THEÂ FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Unknown
"Ponce de León", 1600
Engraving (colorized)
This 17th century Spanish engraving depicts Juan Ponce de Leon, governor of Puerto Rico and the alleged conquistador who wrote the king about finding the Fountain of Youth. Surprisingly enough, the only recorded information linking him to these conquests were 14 years after his death in 1521.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Lucas Cranach, The Elder
"The Fountain of Youth", 1564
Oil painting on Lime Wood
186.1 cm x 120.6 cm
Created in 1546, this piece of art depicts the miracles that the Fountain of Youth and the prosperity it provides to people that wade in its water. It was believed that only women would need to wade in the water, as older men would become younger if they encountered the younger women.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Edward Vaith
"Fountain of Youth", 1856-1925
Oil Painting
24 in W x 16 in L
This painting shows the youthfulness and playfulness that accompanied those that swam in the water of the Fountain of Youth. There was an extreme emphasis on beauty in relation to the fountain and its benefits, which is noted in this painting through the depiction of the woman holding the mirror.
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
Raphael Sanzio
"Scuola di Atene", 1510 - 1511
500 cm × 770 cm
This piece, "Scuola di Atene," translates to "The School of Athens."Plato is depicted on the left, while holding Timaeus (by Leonardo da Vinci) and Aristotle holding the book of Ethics. This art piece explains two written dialogues created by Plato in 360 B.C.E. Plato established this dialogue about Timaeus and another of Critias, in which the two agree to tell a story about an island called Atlantis that they claim is completely nonfiction. These dialogues are the only existing written records that reference Atlantis as a tangible place.
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
RocÃo EspÃn Piñar
"Atlantis", 2015
Drawing with Photoshop
​
Created in 2015, this piece created by RocÃo EspÃn Piñar, illustrates a possible depiction of Atlantis prior to it's alleged submersion into the Atlantic Ocean.
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
Athanasuis Kircher
"Map of Atlantis", 1669
Ink on Paper
Created in 1669 by Athanasius Kircher, a German Jesuit scholar, this map placed Atlantis in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This map was included in his geographical studies described in his collection called Mundus Subterraneus which was published in Amsterdam in 1669. It is interesting to note that he had labeled North at the bottom of the map.