Torture and Transcendence: Monument to the Unknown Political Prisoner

Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong analyzes Christian Petersen’s entry for a 1952 Cold War sculpture competition, examining its rejection and significance within the era’s cultural politics, aesthetics, and human rights discourse.

Lea Rosson DeLong is an art historian, curator, and editor specializing in American art of the 1930s and contemporary art. Born in Louisiana, she was raised in Oklahoma and Nashville, Tennessee, and now lives in Des Moines, Iowa. She earned her BA from the University of Oklahoma and her MA and PhD from the University of Kansas. She has taught at Drake University and Iowa State University and served on the curatorial staff of the Des Moines Art Center.

In 1952, during the cultural front of the Cold War, an international sculpture competition invited artists to create a monument under the theme "The Unknown Political Prisoner." Among the thousands of entries from all over the world was a surprising entry by Christian Petersen, the Danish-born artist-in-residence at Iowa State College, who throughout his career rarely entered competitions. His decision to enter—and the nature of his sculptural response—offers a compelling glimpse into the intersection of aesthetics, politics, and personal conviction during a charged historical moment.

This lecture, presented by art historian Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong, analyzes Petersen’s sculpted entry, explores the reasons it was rejected, and compares it to the winning design. Petersen’s interpretation was unusual for its time, emphasizing the physical impact of torture while also reflecting on the role of the human spirit in the context of human rights abuse. Although his Monument to the Unknown Political Prisoner was rejected, this lecture proposes renewed consideration today and explores Petersen’s little-known submission within the broader framework of this Cold War competition.

Note: This lecture will not be recorded.