PONCE DE LEÓN
Artist’s Studio
“23’ x 5’ x 5’”
Unknown Hardwood
1984
This wooden sculpture, carved from the trunk of a tree, commemorates Spanish explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de León. He is depicted in search of the Fountain of Youth, as he was during his expeditions. Youth is represented by multicultural figures—some emerging from, and others hiding within, the tree’s voluminous trunk.