Henry Moore

Acquired directly from the artist in May 1986 by the present owner

Henry Moore (exhibition catalogue), Marlborough Gallery, New York, 1970, no. 29, illustration of another cast p. 68
Henry Moore, Sculpture (exhibition catalogue), Galerie Beyeler, Basel, 1970, no. 10, illustration of another cast n.p.
Robert Melville, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, New York, 1971, no. 723, illustration of another cast p. 315
David Finn, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Environment, 1977, illustration of another cast p. 480
Alan Bowness, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings, 1964-1973, vol. 4, London, 1977, no. 569, illustration of another cast p. 49
Josep Iglesias del Marquet, Henry Moore y el Inquietante Infinito, Barcelona, 1979, no. 64, illustration of another cast n.p.
David Mitchinson, ed., Henry Moore, Sculpture, New York, 1981, no. 426, illustration of another cast p. 200

There is a rich brown patina. There are areas of slight rubbing to the patina at top of form and at edges, as well as scattered pindot accretions. There are a few nicks and stains around the base, otherwise fine. The work is in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Torso dates from the height of Moore's career, when he had mastered the most technically complex expressions of this form. The conical protrusions where a head, arms and legs would usually be expected exemplifies Moore’s interest in developing a sculptural language inspired by the shapes of natural materials. Moore himself described the progression of his sculpture as "becoming less representational, less outwardly a visual copy, and so what some people would call more abstract; but only because in this way I can present the human psychological context of my work with the greatest clearness and intensity" (quoted in F.S. Wight, ed., Henry Moore: The Reclining Figure (exhibition catalogue), The Columbus Museum, Columbus, 1984, p. 131).

Moore’s series of Torsos of the mid-1960s underscores his fascination with the human form as well as its anthropomorphic possibilities, here equally evoking the shape of the human figure and the form of a branching tree trunk. As the artist once stated, "Trunks of trees are very human. A branch that comes out from the main trunk is like an arm coming out from a body” (quoted in Alan G. Wilkinson, ed., Henry Moore, Writings and Conversations, Aldershot, 2002, p. 240). The work also shares features with other motifs that Moore explored around this time, including his Three Way compositions, works distinctly intended to be observed from multiple angles, as well as his Compact Forms, dense sculptures evoking recoiled, inward motion.

His series of Torsos also underscore his love for ancient monuments and in particular his lifelong admiration for Stonehenge, if not in shape then in scale. Since his childhood Moore had been fascinated by the ancient ruin and remembered his visit in the early 1920s to the site of the primeval monoliths in Salisbury as follows: "As it was a clear evening I got to Stonehenge and saw it by moonlight. I was alone and tremendously impressed. (Moonlight, as you know, enlarges everything, and the mysterious depths and distances made it seem enormous.) I went again the next morning, it was still very impressive, but that first moonlight visit remained for years my idea of Stonehenge" (quoted in David Sylvester, ed., Henry Moore Sculpture and Drawings, 1921-48, London, 1957, p. 3).