Installing the maidens at the Fountain of the Four Seasons

Aug 5, 2024

After more than 80 years in Iowa's extreme weather, the iconic maidens in Christian Petersen's Fountain of the Four Seasons sculpture were showing signs of erosion. The limestone was beginning to lose its detail, so university museums decided to have replicas carved. For more than 18 months, the fountain has been shut off and the sculptures were being painstakingly replicated by artists in Vermont. They've now been returned so that many more generations of Iowa State students can enjoy these beloved works of art.