Henry Moore

Henry Moore (1898-1986)

A sculptor of large-scale, abstract figurative work with voids or pieced areas, Henry Moore was a revolutionary figure in bringing modernism to the sculpture mediums of marble and bronze in Great Britain. His home and studio were in Much Hadham, England. In 1919, he was exposed to African tribal sculpture and became captivated by the art, and used several opportunities to gain more knowledge of the primitive scupptures. In the 1930s he become increasingly experimental and was involved in modernist art, Surrealism, and Cubism. World War II ended this experimental phase of his art when he became a commissioned war artist. His powerful drawings from this period gained him world-wide recognition. After the war, he returned to his interest in sculpture creating a collection ranging from huge to very small works, inspired by the organic shapes found in pebbles, driftwood and skulls. His sculpture can be found in the Tate Gallery, London; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, and numerous other museum collections.