The Hispanic Society of America
Places of Interest in Washington Height 
May 16 was a sunny day with breeze rustling the leaves. Our class experienced a jaunt to an interesting, elegant, intellectual, and glorious place in Washington Height (located in the Northwestern of the Manhattan). Well we went out from the subway station to Broadway around 150th Street. Not far away, there is a historical Hispanic Museum located between 155th and 156th street which is called "The Hispanic Society of America", found by Archer Milton Huntington (1870-1955) on May 18, 1904. Wow! Just by two days of the Hispanic Society’s 96th anniversary.
While we were walking up Broadway, a myriad of trees planted straight up on the both sides of the avenue was liked a huge of umbrellas naturally prevented the sunlight for us (the visitor). The Hispanic Society of America is located near the Fort Tylon Park. There also are many historical and classical European and Greek imitative buildings located around the Hispanic Society. A classical and graceful real ancient scene is appearance in your eyes naturally. It’s quite antique feel and very elegant.
As we stepped into the gateway under an arch of the Hispanic Society, there is a wide but short stair right in front of our slights. Past through the stair we saw a status called El Cid stands right in the center of the little Square in front of the exhibiting building. This status is about an antique General who is riding on a horse and his right hand is grabbing a flag with four naked and armed warriors surrounding him.
In the lobby of the exhibiting building, we were all attracted and impressed by an ancient classic case. It’s unstable of yore. Also, the pigment was already fade down and appearance as brown. But we could see that it is a masterpiece by the shape of the case and sculptures around its body. Inside this case, it has many photographs of the museum history. This building is decorated liked the 17th century of Europe with the entire exhibition place around. At that mount, I felt like back in to the days of yore. But the climax was all about the interior of the museum. As we went deeper inside the center of this building, we saw a huge of collection of historical and classical of Hispanic exhibits. These exhibits are classified in to different sections as mainly Paintings, Decorative Arts, Archaeology, Sculpture, Textiles, Manuscripts and Rare Books, and Prints and Photographs. Each section shows different and the most celebrated artist’s art works and their masterpieces, especially the paintings section. The Society contains a comprehensive survey of Spanish painting and drawing from the Middle Ages up to date.
There is a big and rounded show room of wall paintings in the right side of museum. These wall paintings are very reality; especially people’s faces’ are very sentient. In addition of, the sculpture of people’s faces’ sentiments are very sentient, especially the eyes are really real. It looks like a real person who’s always looking at you. Very awesome! Don’t you think so?
Personally, I was most interested and impressed by the tombs of the Hispanic royalties in the 15th century. In the left side of the Museum exhibits several tombs and other parts of the grave that was found underground. Each tomb is an one to one scale sculpture of the death person lying on the rectangle stone bed. It’s liked the person is sleeping on a bed in peaceful. I wondered whether that person was placed inside the tomb or not. Hum…. Interesting.
Finally, after one and a half-hour’s visiting this interesting place, our eyes were full with happiness and enriched of Hispanic culture, arts, and histories. Only in one and a half-hour, we had experienced almost a thousand years of Hispanic histories.
After this trip, I bought some postcard from the Hispanic Society and some pictures we took around the Washington Heights. Why don't you take look over these pictures.
Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, After the Bath
Diego Velazquez, Portrait of a Little Girl
Juan Vespucci, Map of the World
Hispann-Moresque Dish form Manises