Henry Moore pioneered a new vision for semi-abstract modern sculpture and became a global art phenomenon in his own lifetime. His best known works are his monumental public sculptures made of cast bronze or stone, for which he was greatly inspired by the human body and its natural forms. Moore looked to ancient Mesoamerican stone sculptures and other archeological artifacts outside of a European sculptural tradition, and he found these figures to possess a strong presence that was able to convey the depth and complexities of their ancient cultures. He used this inspiration combined with the simplified forms of modernism to great and popular effect. Moore believed that public art formed an important place in modern society and he frequently created public works for schools, hospitals, and housing estates, expressing that it was his civic duty as an artist to uplift every area of society. A highly prolific artist, Moore’s public works are placed all over the world.  

Moore also worked in drawings and prints, as well as designing textiles and tapestries. Here, in Reclining Nude, the drawing bears a resemblance to many of his sculptural forms and could possibly be a study for a sculpture-in-progress. The figure’s form and positioning of the body is typical in Moore’s work, without realistic proportions (reminiscent of Ingre’s distorted figures) and a body that lends a sturdy formidable presence. One of his most popular subjects, Moore worked on many reclining nudes from the 1950s to the 1980s. A common practice of the artist was to leave the marks of his tools on the work, without polishing and perfecting, but preserving the method and the touch of the artist. The drawing reflects this practice with highly textural visible markings made from various pencils and crayons. Moore held a natural talent for drawing and maintained the practice throughout his life, working as an official war artist in London during WWII. 

Born in Yorkshire, England, Henry Moore, OM CH FBA (Order of Merit, Order of the Companions of Honor, Fellowship of the British Academy), became the epitome of British modernism during his lifetime. In his youth, he joined the army during WWI. He used his serviceman’s grant to attend art school at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1940, Moore and his wife moved to the countryside in Hertfordshire after their home was bombed in the Blitz, and they never left. By 1946, the Museum of Modern Art, New York City staged a major retrospective of his works. He won the coveted International Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennial in 1948. In 1977, the artist set up the Henry Moore Foundation in Hertfordshire, England that continues to promote arts education and maintain the artist’s legacy.