Kentucky Trip

Woman standing holding a small child in her arms while looking back over her left shoulder. Created after experiencing a 1936 flood on the Mississippi River.

Two bust sketches of a man and woman Petersen met in Kentucky, both of whom were sharecroppers, and one of whom was a former slave.

Petersen saw children on a mule after the 1938 flood in Kentucky. A bronze casting of this piece was created after Petersen’s death.

Sarah Gibson Blanding (1898 – 1985) was an American educator and academic administrator who served as Vassar College’s sixth president (1946–1964) and its first female president. Mrs. Blanding, originally from Kentucky, was the mother of Sara Gibson Blanding and met…

Three-quarter frontal bust view of a man wearing a collared shirt, suspenders and a rimmed hat.

Man wearing hat, shirt and suspenders, standing surrounded by large containers full of blackberries on raised slatted platform.

Three-quarters bust view of a man wearing overalls, shirt unbuttoned at the neck, and a hat with the rim turned down.

Sketch of a man wearing an engineer’s hat, shirt and pants with suspenders, walking away with a bag slung over his left shoulder.

Sketch of Charlotte Petersen seated, with her head resting on one hand, by a stream with her feet in the water.

A small building with one window behind a group of trees.

A small wooden church with a steeple and cross on top, in hills surrounded by trees.

Drawing of a male, frontal view.

Profile sketch of a man wearing a hat.

Full front view of a standing man with upraised arms (hands are unfinished) and his mouth open. He seems to be telling a story or preaching.

Three men in hats sitting on a bench along a wall of a building. Two are listening to the third man talking.

Sketch of a very pregnant, nude woman, possibly for "Mother Earth".

Sketch of a woman with four children.

Small sketch of a woman with a child at her feet.

Three women and one man are around a table in front of a house. They are gathering bowls and food on the table.

Seated woman wearing a hat and dress facing left.

Bust view of a young man in a collared shirt looking at the viewer.

Three figures in foreground walking toward a group of seated figures in the shade of a tree. One man stands with arms upraised in front of them with his back to the viewer either preaching or as a storyteller.

Two sketches, both cut out of a sketch book and attached to a sheet of paper. Woman seated on chair with a child on her lap at upper right. Speaking or singing man in overalls standing with his mouth open.

Two standing women, surrounded by hills, wearing long dresses. One wears a bonnet. Both have hands together in prayer.

Man outside a doorway, seated in a chair which he’s tilting back.

Three-quarter bust view of an older man with whiskers, wearing a rimmed hat, shirt and overalls.

Bust view of a man in profile facing left and wearing a rimmed bowler style hat.

Full view of a man seated in a chair with his legs crossed, wearing glasses and reading a paper.

A scantily clad woman in profile, standing and hanging laundry on a clothesline hung between trees. A young boy watches her from the bottom right corner.

Profile view of a woman facing left, wearing a collared dress and her hair in a bun at the back of her neck. Glued to back: …Art Engravers, Cedar Rapids

Petersen saw children on a mule after the 1938 flood in Kentucky. A posthumous bronze casting of this piece was created in 1969 after Petersen’s death. This mold is from that casting process.