HENRY MOORE | Seated Figure on a Ledge

James Kirkman, London
Private Collection, Japan (and sold: Sotheby's, London, April 1, 1981, lot 84)
Acquired at the above sale

Alan Bowness, ed., Henry Moore, Complete Sculpture, 1955-64, vol. III, London, 1965, no. 432a, illustration of another cast p. 35 

This work is in very good condition. Variegated green colored patina. The bronze figure is mounted to the inherent bronze base with two screws. There are a couple white accretions to the figure's inner right thigh. Otherwise, fine.
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.
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Seated Figure on a Ledge belongs to a series of works from the late 1950s that Moore created while developing a commissioned sculpture for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Although Moore had experimented with seated—as opposed to reclining or standing—figures since the first part of the decade, the UNESCO project offered a very particular challenge: that of connecting figurative sculpture to its architectural surroundings. As art historian Herbert Read described: “the modern sculptor (and this includes Rodin) has an additional difficulty which arises from the lack of any unity of style in the artifacts of our contemporary civilization—the conflict between an architecture that is essentially functional and an art of sculpture that is still essentially symbolic (especially when it has a representative purpose) being a particularly acute instance” (quoted in Alan Bowness, op. cit., p. 6).

While this question took Moore years to resolve, it ultimately led his sculpture in new and dynamic directions. At odds with the practice of completing a sculpture for an existing building as a simple enhancement to the architecture, Moore thought of his sculpted figures as independent works of art that needed to be seen from all angles and not as adornments positioned against a flat surface. Moore’s solution was to create independent architectural elements for his sculptures—including walls, steps, chairs and ledges—to create self-contained and private settings for his figures. Although Moore eventually chose a reclining figure for the UNESCO project, he continued to expand his work on these individualized architectural settings for the remainder of the decade.

This work is recorded in the archives of the Henry Moore Foundation.