Reclining Nudes

Object NameBas relief, Mural

Artist / Maker Christian Petersen (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

Collections

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.

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