Henry Moore

English (1898 - 1986)

All artists

Henry Moore *The Helmet* 1939 - 1940 © The Henry Moore Foundation (www.henry-moore.org). All Rights Reserved. DACS, London 2021

Biography

Born 1898

Died 1986

Nationality English

Birth place Castleford

Death place Much Hadham

Born in Yorkshire, Moore is regarded as one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century. He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London in 1921, where he met fellow sculptor Barbara Hepworth. His early work was carved and, in keeping with his belief in 'truth to materials', he took account of the unique shape and texture of the material he carved. He rejected classical ideas of beauty in favour of vitality and was influenced by ancient sculpture as well as developments in European avant garde sculpture, such as the work of Jean Arp. Moore had strong socialist principles and felt that his work could be appreciated by everyone.

Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced many drawings, including a series depicting Londoners sheltering from the Blitz during the Second World War, along with other graphic works on paper. His forms are usually abstractions of the human figure, typically depicting mother-and-child or reclining figures. Moore's works are usually suggestive of the female body, apart from a phase in the 1950s when he sculpted family groups. His forms are generally pierced or contain hollow spaces. Many interpreters liken the undulating form of his reclining figures to the landscape and hills of his birthplace, Yorkshire. Moore was born in Castleford, the son of a coal miner. He became well-known through his carved marble and larger-scale abstract cast bronze sculptures, and was instrumental in introducing a particular form of modernism to the United Kingdom. His ability in later life to fulfill large-scale commissions made him exceptionally wealthy. Despite this, he lived frugally; most of the money he earned went towards endowing the Henry Moore Foundation, which continues to support education and promotion of the arts.

ID: 151097

Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

See full Wikipedia entry

Moore is considered to be one of the most important British sculptors of the 20th century. He drew his inspiration primarily from non-Western sculpture, and his subject matter was nearly always the human form. He also worked as a draftsman during the World War II, executing a series of "shelter drawings" which depicted Londoners seeking shelter in the London Underground.

ID: 500032596

Information from Getty's Union List of Artist Names Â® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License

See full Getty ULAN entry