亨利∙摩爾

Marlborough Gallery, New York
Dorothy M. Skinner & John S. Cook, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (acquired from the above in 1968)
A bequest from the above to the present owner in 2011

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Henry Moore: 60 Years of His Art, 1983, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Royal Academy of Arts, Henry Moore, 1988, no. 23, illustrated in the catalogue
Medford, Tufts University Art Gallery, Highlights of the Dorothy M. Skinner and John S. Cook Bequest, 2008

Herbert Read, Henry Moore: A Study of his Life and Work, London, 1965, no. 90, illustrated p. 111
Robert Melville, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, London, 1970, no. 102, illustrated 
David Sylvester (ed.), Henry Moore: Complete Sculpture 1921-48, London, 1988, vol. 1, no. 146, illustrated p. 85

The darker form has a network of extremely fine fissures centred around the middle, and there is evidence of infilling at the top and bottom. Around the neck of the lighter form there appears to be a shallow fissure. This work is in stable 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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During the early 1930s Moore’s sculpture made a dramatic leap into his mature style of sensuous, abstracted reality.  As Herbert Read suggested, ‘the organism is now violently distorted, to constitute the super-real forms of a new mythology of the unconscious’ (H. Read, Henry Moore, London, 1965, p. 83). Two Forms consists of a pair of ironstone shapes with sharp incisions which hint at human features, an important device used in other works from the period (fig. 1). Moore has utilised the stone’s naturally rich hues, brought to a highly polished finish, to enrich the purity of the overall composition. Two Forms’ graceful execution is therefore testament to Moore’s technical virtuosity as a sculptor.

Elements of 'Primitive' art found their way into Moore’s carvings of this period, especially the uninhibited grace of Cycladic figures and heads. In the present work Moore utilises the potential of the surrealistic manipulation of shapes to derive no direct resemblance to a natural form but nonetheless imbue the entire object with an organic potency. Moore explained: ‘Sculpture, for me, must have life in it, vitality. It must have a feeling for organic form, a certain pathos and warmth. Purely abstract sculpture seems to me to be an activity that would be better fulfilled in another art, such as architecture. That is why I have never been tempted to remain a purely abstract sculptor… A sculpture must have its own life. Rather than give the impression of a smaller object carved out of a bigger block, it should make the observer feel that what he is seeing contains within itself its own organic energy thrusting outwards - if a work of sculpture has its own life and form, it will be alive and expansive, seeming larger than the stone or wood from which it is carved. It should always give the impression, whether carved or modelled, of having grown organically, created by pressure from within’ (Henry Moore, quoted in ibid., p. 49).


Fig. 1, Henry Moore, Two Forms, 1936, Hornton stone, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia