Nude man holds nude male child in his upraised hands. Sculpture sits on a rectangular base in a pond. Petersen’s final sculpture, modeled and signed by the artist, but cast after his death. Cast by Roman Bronze Works, Chicago, IL. Orlandi Statuary Co., Chicago, IL.
Published onJan 04, 2024
398. A Dedication to the Future
Fisher Community Center, Marshalltown, Iowa.
Date
1961
Material
Bronze
Dimensions
120 x 48 x 36 in. (304.8 x 121.9 x 91.4 cm)
Description
Nude man holds nude male child in his upraised hands. Sculpture sits on a rectangular base in a pond. Petersen's final sculpture, modeled and signed by the artist, but cast after his death. Cast by Roman Bronze Works, Chicago, IL. Orlandi Statuary Co., Chicago, IL.
Markings
Inscription on plaque: A DEDICATION / TO THE FUTURE / WE LIFT UP OUR YOUNG / TO SEE BEYOND / THAT WHICH WE CAN'T SEE / BY / CHRISTIAN PETERSEN / 1961; Signed at base: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN
Provenance / Location
Commissioned by J.W. Fisher for the Fisher Community Center, Marshalltown, Iowa.
Alternate Title(s)
n/a
Notes / Sources
Papers, SC, Box 4 f.16, draft sketch in letter to Nerney; Transmission (Northern Natural Gas Co.), Vol. VIII No. 2, 1960; "The Last Legacy of a Sculptor," The Iowan, vol. 9 no. 5, June-July 1961; Ames Daily Tribune, May 16, 1964; Ames Daily Tribune, Jan 3, 1967; Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), July 7, 1968; Des Moines Register, Nov. 16, 1969; Des Moines Register, June 9, 1974; The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Feb. 19, 1978.
WOI Radio interview with Christian Petersen, 1960
“I have carried out an idea ... that I have one eight foot figure holding aloft a child. I wanted to symbolize this generation helping the next generation to see beyond what he has be enable to see ... so the child is looking into the future, having a little more light.” -Christian Petersen
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
