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Reclining Nudes
Reclining Nudes
Reclining Nudes
Photograph by Bob Elbert, University Relations, Iowa State University.

Reclining Nudes

Artist / Maker (Danish - American, 1885 - 1961)
Date1936
OriginU.S.A.
MediumTerra cotta
Dimensions26 x 163 x 5 in. (66 x 414 x 12.7 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineCommissioned by Iowa State College for Roberts Hall removed in the 1990s, reinstallation in the Elizabeth and Byron Anderson Sculpture Garden in 2011. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object numberU88.74
Status
On view
Label TextThis terra cotta bas relief, installed as a fountain, is a rarity in the work of Christian Petersen. The nude female form common in Petersen's studio works never appeared in his public sculptures until he completed this commission for an Iowa State women's residence hall entrance. The only public large-scale nudes produced by him, the two reclining female figures are gracefully but deeply incised, giving them a strong and formal presence that avoids any suggestion of allure or eroticism. The sculptures were designed for the steps on Roberts Hall and include the line, "and no world more wide, since all her dreams start here and here abide," from the poem "Sancta Ursula" by William Aspenwald Bradley. The figures and text reflect the promise of education, particularly for female students in the 1930s. After this sculptures, Petersen's only other adult nudes would be found in private collections. These sculptures were removed from Roberts Hall and are currently installed in the Anderson Sculpture Garden between Morrill Hall and the Hub.
Published ReferencesIowa State Daily, May 17, 1940; Ames Daily Tribune, Jan. 15, 1942.
Locations
  • (not entered)  Iowa State University, Anderson Sculpture Garden
Fountain of the Four Seasons
Object Name: Sculpture, fountain and pool
Christian Petersen
1941
Object number: U88.69
Marriage Ring (Wedding Ring, Ring of Life)
Object Name: Sculpture
Christian Petersen
1942
Object number: U88.66
Models for the Fountain of the Four Seasons
Object Name: Sculptures
Christian Petersen
1940
Object number: U89.26abcd
History of Dairying
Object Name: Sculpture, fountain and six bas relief panels
Christian Petersen
1934
Object number: U88.64a-g
Dancing Woman
Object Name: Sculpture Maquette
Christian Petersen
1936-1939
Object number: UM98.2
Dancing Woman
Object Name: Maquette
Christian Petersen
1936-1939
Object number: UM98.3
Dean Helen Benitez, Women's University, Philippines
Object Name: Portrait Bust
Christian Petersen
1946
Object number: U89.34
Hy-Brids
Object Name: Sculptures
Andrew Leicester
1991
Object number: U91.72abcd
Veterinary Medicine Mural
Object Name: Bas relief
Christian Petersen
1935-1938
Object number: U88.71
Coffee can and Saucer
Object Name: Coffee can and Saucer
Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
Late 18th century
Object number: 2.7.4ab
Model for the Cattle Foundation:  The History of Dairying (Study of Cows)
Object Name: Model
Christian Petersen
1934
Object number: U90.101
Marriage Ring
Object Name: Sculpture reproduction
Mayda Jensen
1994
Object number: U94.13