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

Gifted by the Artist to Derek Hill in 1951-2

David Sylvester (ed.), Henry Moore Complete Sculpture 1921-48, Vol.1, Lund Humphries, London, 1990, cat. no.184.

The sculpture appears to be stable. There are some small scattered losses, particularly on the reverse of the sculpture, and some scratches on the underside, beneath the figure's feet. There are three old repaired breaks and possible areas of infilling in the figure's arms. With the exception of the above the work appears to be in good condition. Please contact the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

‘These plasters have been historically undervalued by both artist and art historian alike, yet they are originals, shaped and textured with assorted chisels, metal files, dental instruments, cheese graters, even humble nutmeg grinders and tooth brushes - each bronze is intrinsically a step removed from the original creation.’ (Anita Felman, ‘Moore: The Plasters,’ Henry Moore Plasters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2011, p.19)

In the development of his carvings and bronzes, Moore would often work first on small models, some no bigger than his hand, made from either clay or plaster, in which he would establish the key elements of their forms. These models would then be scaled up, either in the stone itself or in plaster, ready for casting: the present work being the sketch model for Moore's masterpiece of the late 1930s, Recumbent Figure, carved in Green Hornton stone and now in the Tate. Moore, however, also made bronze casts of these original small maquettes, wishing to preserve their spontaneity and Jewel-like quality - and the present work bears the traces of the casting process.

Early in Moore’s career he often destroyed his original models to prevent against un-authorized editions being cast, but he reached a turning point in his attitude following an encounter with a curator from the Victoria and Albert Museum. As he recounted:

‘A friend who works at the Victoria and Albert Museum came out one day just as we were breaking up some plasters and said, “But why do that, because sometimes the original plaster is actually nicer to look at than the final bronze.” He was right because an idea you’ve had and that you’ve made in the original material or plaster can suit it better than what the final bronze may do. Especially to begin with it was difficult for me to visualize for sure just what the plaster I was doing would look like in bronze.’ (The Artist, in Henry J Seldis, Henry Moore in America, London and New York, 1973, pp.222-4, cited in Anita Felman, ‘Moore: The Plasters,’ Henry Moore Plasters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2011, p.19)

From this point Moore decided to retain his originals, but he ran into the issue of storage. Along with the originals which were used for casting, there were a multitude of plasters which were abandoned in the creative process. Consequently, Moore gifted several models to institutions, such as the original plaster model for Reclining Figure, 1951, created for the Festival of Britain, which he gifted to the Tate, and a large group of monumental plasters which went to the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1973, where they are displayed in a dedicated gallery.

The present work and lot 15 were given by Henry Moore to the painter and art collector Derek Hill (1916-2000) in 1951-2, and are being sold by the Derek Hill Foundation to further its charitable work. Derek Hill left his studio house in Hampstead and its contents to the Foundation, which aims to benefit fellow artists and the arts generally through providing small grants and travel bursaries. The Foundation is chaired by Lord Gowrie, former Arts Minister, Chairman of the Arts Council of England, and London Chairman of Sotheby’s.