This painting is one of the few historical works with a purely local subject created in Córdoba and is believed to have been produced in 1892 to commemorate the IV Centennial of the discovery of America by the city. Beatriz Enríquez de Arana was the lover of Christopher Columbus, even though he was already a widower after the passing of Felipa Moniz. Beatriz went on to become the mother of Columbus's son, Hernando Colón.
Their meeting took place in 1486-87 when Columbus was seeking support for his Indies expedition from the monarchs. Despite never formalizing their marriage, they remained together, and in 1488, Hernando Colón was born. When Christopher embarked on his journey to America in 1492, he entrusted the care of his two children to Beatriz, who performed her duties so diligently that she earned commendation from Queen Isabella.
Upon Columbus's death, he bequeathed his fortune to Beatriz. This wealth resulted from his role as the governor of the West Indies, which granted him 10% of the profits from the voyages due to the Capitulations of Santa Fe. Despite this inheritance, Beatriz never claimed it, and Columbus's first son, Diego, regarded her as his true mother.
