Henry Moore, O.M., C.H.

Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner, and thence by descent

Will Grohmann, The Art of Henry Moore, Thames & Hudson, London, 1960, p.6, no.32, illustrated p.68 (another cast);
Robert Melville, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, Thames & Hudson, London, 1970, p.347, no.214, illustrated p.116 (another cast);
David Mitchinson (ed.) Henry Moore Sculpture, with Comments by the Artist, Macmillan, London, 1981, p.310, illustrated no.149 (lead version);
David Sylvester (ed.), Henry Moore, Complete Sculpture 1921-48, Lund Humphries, London, 1988, Vol. 1, p.12, cat. no.203, illustrated p.115 (lead version);
Timothee Trimm, Henry Moore Intime, Editions du Regard,Paris, 1992, p.77, illustrated (another cast);
John Hedgecoe, A Monument Vision, The Sculpture of Henry Moore, Collins & Brown, London, 1998, cat. no.210, illustrated p.208 (another cast);
Anita Feldman & Malcolm Woodward, Henry Moore Plasters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2011, cat. no.51, illustrated (plaster version).

Structurally sound. There is minor surface dirt and dust to the crevices and a small speck of white surface matter to her back. Very minor wear to the dark patina is visible to both knees, as well as further signs to the elbows, and a further fleck to her left hip. There is wear to the base which is not visible whilst the piece is resting. This excepting, the work appears to be in very good condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present lot.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The theme of the reclining nude had held Moore’s attention since the late 1920s, developed through a series of sketches and both small and large scale sculptures, culminating in such works as Recumbent Figure, 1938 (Tate) and subsequently becoming recognised as a ‘signature theme’ within his work (Ian Dejardin et.al., Henry Moore at Dulwich Picture Gallery, Scala Publishers Ltd., London, 2004, p.67).  Whilst the onset of war in 1939 drastically curtailed the availability of many sculpting materials, a factor which hindered not only Moore but many other artists of the period, he continued to work on the theme throughout this period of massive upheaval, sketching, carving and producing small maquettes in lead that were later cast in bronze.  Reclining Figure is one such piece, and epitomises Moore’s aptitude in capturing the theme.  With smooth sinuous lines and a delicate balance of weight and tension its very material seeks to be touched, a feature aided in part by the lost-wax casting process.

A keen swimmer, Moore was extremely fond of Cézanne’s Bathers, at one point owning a small sketch by the artist, and the similarity of posture is striking when viewing the present work, equally rich in its sense of peace and tranquillity.  Moore was later to reference the work more closely in The Bathers (after Cézanne) (1978), which drew directly from the positioning of the figures.  As Moore commented, 'Cezanne’s bathers compositions were a subject that freed him to try out all sorts of things that he didn’t quite know.  With me, I think the reclining figure gave me a chance, a kind of subject matter, to create new forms within it' (Moore, quoted in Dorothy Kosinski (ed.), Henry Moore: Sculpting the Twentieth Century, Yale University Press, London, 2001, p.59). 

The present work carries with it the peace and eloquence of these early, relaxed ideas, yet holds within it the darker undertones of the impending conflict.  Moore later recalled how he had heard news of the outbreak of war whilst swimming one morning at Burcroft; he had a sudden, dark and foreboding vision of elegant swimmers wreathed in gas masks.  This blend of tranquillity and conflict is delicately captured in the present work, which closely resembles his series of shelter drawings made during the Blitz, which saw residents taking shelter deep underground; the figure is captured at rest, waiting, but lying alert and upright, perhaps awoken from sleep, with the narrow blanket wrapped tightly around her waist, displaying at once the vulnerability of her naked, exposed form, imbuing the piece with a sense of the inherent caution and instability of the wartime period.