Standards Iowa | Art School | Art on Campus
The Four Maidens are four seated limestone sculptures by Danish-American artist Christian Petersen, installed in 1941 as part of the Fountain of the Four Seasons outside Iowa State University’s Memorial Union. These iconic figures, depicting Native American women inspired by an Osage tribe chant of thanksgiving, represent the annual cycle of corn agriculture and family life: Spring (planting corn, east), Summer (sheltering a young plant, south), Fall (holding the harvest, west), and Winter (nursing a child, north). They symbolize renewal, growth, harvest, and sustenance. Recently replicated in durable Bedford limestone after erosion, they remain a beloved campus landmark.
Snowfall on @IowaStateU campus pic.twitter.com/2wr3OXJnyh
— Art Winter (@ArthurHWinter) January 31, 2020
https://www.museums.iastate.edu/visit/art-on-campus-collection/fountain/where-maidens-now
