- 335
HENRY MOORE | Two Seated Figures Against Wall
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Henry Moore
- Two Seated Figures Against Wall
- inscribed Moore and numbered 10/12
- bronze
- height: 49.5cm., 19 1/2 in.
- Conceived in 1960 and cast in bronze by the Fiorini Foundry, London in a numbered edition of 12 plus 1 artist's proof.
Provenance
(Probably) Galerie des Arts Anciens et Modernes, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York
Helen W. & Robert M. Benjamin, New York (acquired from the above in 1962)
Private Collection, London
Galerie Michael Blaszczyk, Bad Homburg
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2010
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York
Helen W. & Robert M. Benjamin, New York (acquired from the above in 1962)
Private Collection, London
Galerie Michael Blaszczyk, Bad Homburg
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2010
Exhibited
New York, M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., Henry Moore, 1962, no. 36, illustrated in the catalogue
New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery, The Helen W. and Robert M. Benjamin Collection, 1967, no. 116, illustrated in the catalogue
New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery, The Helen W. and Robert M. Benjamin Collection, 1967, no. 116, illustrated in the catalogue
Literature
Ionel Jianou, Henry Moore, New York, 1968, no. 441
Robert Melville, Henry Moore Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, London, 1970, no. 591, illustration of another cast p. 266
Giulio Carlo Argan, Henry Moore, New York, 1972, no. 157, illustration of another cast n.p.
David Mitchinson & Franco Russoli, Henry Moore Sculpture, New York, 1981, no. 321, illustration of another cast p. 150
Henry Moore 85th Birthday Exhibition, Stone Carvings, Bronze Sculptures, Drawings (exhibition catalogue), Marlborough Fine Art, London, 1983, no. 22, illustration of another cast p. 51 (titled Two Seated Girls Against Wall)
Alan Bowness (ed.), Henry Moore Sculpture and Drawings 1955-64, London, 1986, vol. III, no. 454, illustration of another cast pl. 86
John Hedgecoe, Henry Moore, A Monumental Vision, London, 1998, no. 419, illustration of another cast p. 224
Robert Melville, Henry Moore Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, London, 1970, no. 591, illustration of another cast p. 266
Giulio Carlo Argan, Henry Moore, New York, 1972, no. 157, illustration of another cast n.p.
David Mitchinson & Franco Russoli, Henry Moore Sculpture, New York, 1981, no. 321, illustration of another cast p. 150
Henry Moore 85th Birthday Exhibition, Stone Carvings, Bronze Sculptures, Drawings (exhibition catalogue), Marlborough Fine Art, London, 1983, no. 22, illustration of another cast p. 51 (titled Two Seated Girls Against Wall)
Alan Bowness (ed.), Henry Moore Sculpture and Drawings 1955-64, London, 1986, vol. III, no. 454, illustration of another cast pl. 86
John Hedgecoe, Henry Moore, A Monumental Vision, London, 1998, no. 419, illustration of another cast p. 224
Condition
Attractive warm brown patina. There are some spots of verdigris to the back of the wall towards the base, and some further spots to the lower edge of the base There are some plaster remnants visible to the back of the wall. There is some dust in the crevices. This work is in overall very good condition and would befit from a light clean according to taste.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Conceived in 1960, Two Seated Figures Against Wall is a very fine example of Henry Moore’s exploration of the figure in relation to its architectural surroundings; a theme which greatly preoccupied the sculptor in the years following the completion of his widely-celebrated commissions for the Time-Life building in London and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 1958. The problem of having to position his sculpture in front of a large building which might detract from its impact on the viewer, led the artist to explore the idea of positioning the figure in front of its own wall within the composition. Moore eventually left the UNESCO commission without this backdrop, but it became a device that he explored in his sculpture throughout the 1950s and beyond.
The theme of the seated figure—as distinct from Moore’s reclining or standing figures—was also first evident in Moore’s work of the 1950s. Usually upright and frontal in pose Moore's seated figures have a majestic stability and weight that conveys an internalised sense of calm contemplation. The present bronze, with its warm brown patina, depicts two figures, seated upright against the backdrop of a vertical plane—the high-backed wall of the title—which creates a sense of delineated private space. Enclosed within the given space, the figures are united by their shared location—simultaneously offset in relief from the wall and framed within its confines. The figures' static attitude is carefully offset by subtle asymmetry where a head tilts gently to the left or the right shoulder drops to create a soft twist and hint of movement. Now belonging to a private European Collection, the present work once belonged to Helen Weil Benjamin, a New York-based philanthropist and longtime benefactor of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. Together with her husband Robert, Helen developed a deep interest in Contemporary art which led to her involvement at the Whitney Museum of American Art where she served as a member of its Painting and Sculpture Committee from 1978 to 1989. The Benjamins' collection, including the present work, was exhibited at Yale University Art Gallery in 1967.
This work is recorded in the archives of the Henry Moore Foundation under no. LH 454.
The theme of the seated figure—as distinct from Moore’s reclining or standing figures—was also first evident in Moore’s work of the 1950s. Usually upright and frontal in pose Moore's seated figures have a majestic stability and weight that conveys an internalised sense of calm contemplation. The present bronze, with its warm brown patina, depicts two figures, seated upright against the backdrop of a vertical plane—the high-backed wall of the title—which creates a sense of delineated private space. Enclosed within the given space, the figures are united by their shared location—simultaneously offset in relief from the wall and framed within its confines. The figures' static attitude is carefully offset by subtle asymmetry where a head tilts gently to the left or the right shoulder drops to create a soft twist and hint of movement. Now belonging to a private European Collection, the present work once belonged to Helen Weil Benjamin, a New York-based philanthropist and longtime benefactor of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. Together with her husband Robert, Helen developed a deep interest in Contemporary art which led to her involvement at the Whitney Museum of American Art where she served as a member of its Painting and Sculpture Committee from 1978 to 1989. The Benjamins' collection, including the present work, was exhibited at Yale University Art Gallery in 1967.
This work is recorded in the archives of the Henry Moore Foundation under no. LH 454.