| Artist | Aurelio Teno |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Dimensions | 1,161 cm × 464.5 cm × 929.0 cm (457.2 in × 182.88 in × 365.76 in) |
| Location | Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Owner | National Park Service |
Don Quixote is a sculpture by Aurelio Teno located at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., United States. The sculpture of Don Quixote was a gift from Spain for the Bicentennial of the United States of America. In 1993 it was surveyed as part of the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program.[1]
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Don Quixote depicts a bronze and stone figure of Don Quixote wearing a full suit of armor riding his horse Rosinante which emerges out of a jagged piece of stone.[1] The jagged stone is made of Colmenar stone from Pamplona.[2] Only the front part of Don Quixote and his horse are visible. The horse appears to be charging forward out of the stone with his head raised, mouth open, and hooves kicking. The left foot of the horse is not formed, intentionally, by Teno. In Don Quixote's hand is a 12 ft. lance made of steel. Both figures are loosely modeled and the figures and stone rest on an 66 ton oval base (4 x 5 x 12 ft.) which was cut into three pieces and sent by ship to the United States.[2] An inscription on the sculpture is signed:
The sculpture was a gift of Spain to the United States on behalf of their bicentennial.[1] It was presented by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain on June 3, 1976.[2][1]
Spanish artist Aurelio Teno started his professional sculpture career at age eight.[2] He described Don Quixote as his life work, having devoted his career to creating art about the subject.[2]
In 1993 the sculpture was surveyed as part of the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program. The program stated that Don Quixote needed treatment.[1]