Elcano and his representations

Throughout time, the creation of these works has reflected certain individuals’ and institutions’ desire to position themselves as part of the glorious seafaring history that the figure of Elcano represents, in pursuit of honour and, on occasion, political goals.

The commemorations that took place in the 20th century followed the same course as that of the context of his direct successors.

Another native of Getaria, Manuel de Agote y Bonechea (1755-1803), a great seafarer, scientist and, until 1797, first overseer of the Royal Philippines Company, commissioned Alfonso Giraldo Bergaz (1744-1812), director of sculpture at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts, to create the first statue, which he sculpted in marble in 1800.

This sculpture made the statement that the seafarers of Getaria and the rest of the Basque Country were still the noble descendants of Elcano and the other historic navigators.

Here you can see a plaster model of it.

The sculpture was positioned in front of the main gate on the inland side of Getaria’s city walls.

At that time, the exclusively Basque government and legislative institutions were being called into question. With that, in the course of the First Carlist War, the sculpture was seriously damaged in 1835-1836.

It was eventually transported to the town of Zestoa, where its trail went cold.

Inspired by that statue, Luis Fernández Noseret created this engraving around 1805, based on a drawing by José López Enguídanos. It appeared in the eighteenth volume of the collection ‘Portraits of Illustrious Spaniards’, published under the auspices of the State Secretariat.

Its purpose is clearly political and propagandistic: to alert foreign powers to the Spanish people’s main cultural and historical contributions.

This new statue, commissioned to replace the first one, is the work of the sculptor Antonio Palao y Marco (1824-1886) and it was installed at Getaria’s sea gate in 1861.

It was commissioned by the Getaria Town Council and the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa in their efforts to reconstruct the town after it was ravaged in the period 1835-1836.

The figure of Elcano continued to be one of the main rhetorical tools used to defend the region's secular rights, which were eventually taken away in 1876.

As part of the revocation of the last vestiges of regional legislation, the Francoist authorities removed the statue from its original location in 1941, and transported it to San Sebastián, to the monument to the fallen of the Baleares cruiser which was sunk during the Civil War.

It would not return to its original location until 1978, three years after the dictator’s death.

This statue was produced in Rome in white Carrara marble by Ricardo Bellver (1845-1924), and was commissioned by the Ministry of Overseas. It was due to be exhibited at the General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1881.

However, due to a turbulent journey by ship, it arrived at the event late so it could not be awarded a prize, despite its great popularity with the public.

Until 1934, it remained on the Elcano Patio of the ministry's offices, which later became the Ministry of State (and later Foreign Affairs).

It was then donated to Getaria in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the first circumnavigation of the world, and today it stands on the square in front of Getaria Town Hall.

The painting titled “The Offering of Elcano” by Elías Salaberria (1883-1952) is another of the three masterpieces commissioned.

It portrays the historic event of 8th September 1522, capturing the precise moment in which, on arrival, having completed the great seafaring feat, Elcano disembarked from the La Victoria by a ramp from the ship's deck with his crew and placed his right foot on the dock of Seville.

This sketch also conveys the harshness of the voyage, symbolised by the rags worn by Elcano and the other 17 battered survivors.

With great dignity, they walk barefoot and hold lit candles offered to them by the astounded spectators on the dock, to give their offering to the Virgin of Antiquity.

The Naval Museum of Madrid has an almost identical copy of the painting in large format.

Pablo Uranga and Ignacio Zuloaga were firm friends, and it is likely that this half-body portrait of Elcano, painted outside of the Board’s commission, emerged on Uranga’s easel at the same time that Zuloaga painted his famous great portrait.

It is a virtually unknown work of art, as it has been in private hands until it was recently acquired by the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa in the context of the fifth centenary of the feat of navigation.

Victorio Macho (1887-1966) is one of the key precursory figures to contemporary sculpture in Spain in the early 20th century, and he was in charge of the Monument to Elcano sculpture programme by request of the Board of the Fifth Centenary.

On the monument's steps, there is a bas-relief that represents Juan Sebastian Elcano on the navigation bridge of La Victoria in a thoughtful pose.

Is this painting another commemorative commission? It is the work of F. de Guevara, about whom we know little more.

Elcano is portrayed in his cabin, surrounded by the signatories to his will. They are all Basque men, including Urdaneta.

Just as the cause of his death is unknown (scurvy or ciguatera?), there are many unanswered questions about this painting: where were they going? when was it painted?