Henry Moore
(1898–)
(–1986)
Henry Moore
1898–1986
Henry Moore (1898–1986) was an English avant-garde sculptor. He was known for his large-scale stone, plaster, and bronze humanoid sculptures that often incorporated disproportionate dimensions and empty space into their compositions. Although classically trained in the Victorian style of sculpture and naturalistic drawing (which he showcased in his drawings of the Second World War), Moore was a pioneer in figurative and abstract sculpture in the latter half of the twentieth century.
Born on July 30, 1898, in Castleford, Yorkshire, England, Moore became interested in art as a child. Before pursuing a career in art, however, he was urged to train as a teacher. Moore did not enjoy teaching, so when the First World War broke out he volunteered for service in the British Army. He returned home in 1918 when the Armistice was declared and received a grant for ex-servicemen. In 1919, he used this grant to attend the Leeds School of Art. In 1921, he moved on to study at the Royal College of Art in London, where he later taught. While a student at the Royal College, Moore began to experiment with modern styles of sculpture in an attempt to break away from the Victorian style he was previously trained in. This experimentation led him to learn a method of direct carving influenced by earlier modern sculptors like Constantin Brancusi and Frank Dobson. This method allowed the imperfections of the sculpting material (stone, wood, etc.) and the marks of the sculpting tools to act as part of the finished piece.
Throughout the 1930s, Moore continued to explore various shapes and forms in sculpture, earning him a reputation as an avant-garde artist. His humanoid figures incorporated disproportionate dimensions and space into their composition. He would often use cut-outs to create empty space within the solid forms, and he encouraged viewers to observe his sculptures from different perspectives in order to experience the transformative nature of the works. However, when the Second World War began, Moore was drafted as an official war artist. During the war, he focused mostly on drawings, some of which were later included in an international traveling exhibition held by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee titled Britain at War. After the war, his focus shifted back to sculpture, specifically centered around the theme of family.
The 1950s brought about a rise in important commissions for Moore. These pieces grew to a rather large scale compared with his prior works. The significant commissions continued into the 1960s with a large-scale (12 foot tall) work being commissioned for the University of Chicago to commemorate the achievement of the first self-sustaining and controlled nuclear reaction, titled Nuclear Energy.
Over the last 30 years of Moore’s life, numerous retrospective exhibitions were held and various films were made about his life and work. In 1977, Moore established the Henry Moore Foundation with his daughter Mary in an attempt to protect his estate and his legacy after his death. Although his sculptures have been collected and commissioned by many institutions worldwide, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto currently holds the largest public collection of Henry Moore’s work in the world. Moore died on August 31, 1986, at his home in Perry Green, England, which is now under the jurisdiction of the Henry Moore Foundation.