Miguel de Cervantes
In “Willy’s Garden” on the campus of N.Y.U., off Fifth Avenue between Washington Square North and Washington Mews.
Plaque affixed to the statue’s base.
This statue of Miguel Cervantes, the famous Spanish writer and painter, stands at the end of a long, narrow courtyard on the campus of New York University. It depicts Cervantes in mid-stride, with his left hand on the hilt of a sword and his right hand clutching a roll of paper.
And that is about all I can tell you. My research has made little headway in ironing out the particulars beyond these, which I report here less as facts and more as things I have not yet been able to dispute:
- The statue was a gift of the mayor of Madrid.
- It came over in 1986.
- It was originally installed in Bryant Park, and was removed in 1989 as part of that park’s refurbishment.
- And it was supposed to be placed in Washington Square, but was deemed too delicate and moved to the courtyard instead.
It is widely reported that this statue is a 19th century replica of a much older statue in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. But no statue of Cervantes is there today; the equestrian monument visible in photos of that square is Philip II. …There is a statue of Cervantes in Madrid’s Plaza Espana, but it does not resemble this one.
Cervantes was born Sept. 29, 1547, and died in Madrid on April 23, 1616. He is an iconic figure in literature and was a powerful influence in the culture of 16th century Spain. His novel “Don Quixote” is usually considered among the best ever written.
