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Lot Essay
Intricately shaped, Moore’s Reclining Figure exemplifies his recumbent female forms, while displaying the artist’s signature amalgamation of figurative forms and abstract elements in bronze. “From the very beginning,” Moore reflected in 1968, “the reclining figure has been my main theme. The first one I made was around 1924, and probably more than half of my sculptures since then have been reclining figures” (quoted in A.G. Wilkinson, ed., Henry Moore, Writings and Conversations, Los Angeles, 2002, p. 212). In this composition, the remarkable interplay of three-dimensional form and negative space is produced by meandering and undulating lines that create the “tension, force, and vitality,” as well as the harmony, that Moore sought to convey (quoted in C. Lichtenstern, Henry Moore, Work, Theory, Impact, London, 2008, p. 101).
The manner in which the female form is propped up on one arm, with her twisting elongated torso and her knees raised up, is compositionally similar to other important examples of Moore’s reclining figures. Moore's reclining figures sculpted during the earlier pre-war years appear more grounded with all four limbs securely attached to the base, projecting in Albert Elsen's words, “a quiet majesty, an aloofness and serenity” (Modern European Sculpture, 1918-1945, New York, 1978, p. 50). Arguably, the growing political instability in Europe led Moore to explore progressively more unstable and asymmetrical positions for his figures, as seen in the tension and delicate balance exhibited in the present lot. However, the durability conveyed by the bronze medium and the dynamism expressed in these forms have also been interpreted as emblematic of the resilience of the human spirit. The artist has spoken of his desire for his sculpture to convey a sense of immutability: “A reclining figure can recline on any surface. It is free and stable at the same time. It fits in with my belief that sculpture should be permanent, should last for eternity” (quoted in D. Mitchinson, ed., Henry Moore, Sculpture, London, 1981, p. 52).
The manner in which the female form is propped up on one arm, with her twisting elongated torso and her knees raised up, is compositionally similar to other important examples of Moore’s reclining figures. Moore's reclining figures sculpted during the earlier pre-war years appear more grounded with all four limbs securely attached to the base, projecting in Albert Elsen's words, “a quiet majesty, an aloofness and serenity” (Modern European Sculpture, 1918-1945, New York, 1978, p. 50). Arguably, the growing political instability in Europe led Moore to explore progressively more unstable and asymmetrical positions for his figures, as seen in the tension and delicate balance exhibited in the present lot. However, the durability conveyed by the bronze medium and the dynamism expressed in these forms have also been interpreted as emblematic of the resilience of the human spirit. The artist has spoken of his desire for his sculpture to convey a sense of immutability: “A reclining figure can recline on any surface. It is free and stable at the same time. It fits in with my belief that sculpture should be permanent, should last for eternity” (quoted in D. Mitchinson, ed., Henry Moore, Sculpture, London, 1981, p. 52).