[Unveiled 1965] 1853-1895
b. Havana, Cuba • d. Dos Ríos Sculpted: 1959 Sculptor: Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington
1876-1973 • USA
Gift of the artist to the Cuban government
Upon entering Artists' Gate, a main gateway
to
Central Park, one will see a
towering statue of José Julian Martí, the
Cuban essayist, poet, and patriot in his last
moment of struggle for Cuba’s independence
from Spain.
This powerful statue represents Martí sitting
slumped to one side on his horse as he gasps
his last breath during the battle of Dos Ríos in
May 1895 in which he was fatally wounded.
This battle was the commencement of the final
insurrection against Spain that claimed his
untimely death.
The panicked horse rears up in great fury as
the fallen Martí struggles to pull its reins while
clutching his right arm to his wounded chest.
