Charlotte and Mary

Artist / Maker Christian Petersen (Danish - American, 1885 - 1961)

Date1946

MediumPainted plaster

Dimensions18 x 14 x 2 1/2 in. (45.7 x 35.6 x 6.4 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LinePurchased by University Museums from the Estate of Martha Ann Simmons with funds from the University Museums Endowment. In the Christian Petersen Art Collection, Christian Petersen Art Museums, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2013.2

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextFrom the University Museums Collections Handbook, vol. 2, 2025: Family members may appear in an artist’s work for various reasons. While they may be convenient subjects, for many artists, the art represents a labor of love. This was especially true for Christian Petersen. The artist sculpted and drew numerous portraits of his wife, Charlotte (1899–1985), and their daughter, Mary (1936–2024). While he never included himself in his work, he focused on capturing Charlotte and Mary throughout their lives, capturing and celebrating the tender interactions between them. This bas-relief portrait depicts Petersen’s wife and daughter in profile, with a pose reminiscent of the archetypal image of Madonna and Child. Charlotte is depicted with short, cropped hair, while a young Mary, in front of her, wears a short-sleeved dress and a bob hairstyle. Both mother and daughter have lowered gazes, as if on the verge of drifting off to sleep. The composition frames the figures within the intimate setting of the domestic space, capturing a moment of quiet tenderness, while the sculptor’s careful attention to detail in his family’s expressions brings the scene to life, imbuing it with emotional resonance.

Locations