Maquette for Reclining Figure

Moore is renowned for his singular figures in repose and the present work exemplifies his skill in obscuring the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. He expertly combines curvilinear shapes with subtle geometric elements, creating a harmonious interplay between the figurative and the abstract. Moore believed ‘all art is an abstraction to some degree: in sculpture the material alone forces one away from pure representation and towards abstraction’ (the artist quoted in Herbert Read (ed.), Unit One: The Modern Movement in English Architecture, London, 1934, pp. 29-30).

Moore began exploring the reclining figure in the late 1920s, and it was a theme that was to preoccupy him for much of his career. In 1947 he stated, ‘there are three fundamental poses of the human figure. One is standing, the other is seated, and the third is lying down. Of the three poses, the reclining figure gives most freedom compositionally and spatially’ (the artist quoted in exhibition catalogue, Henry Moore, Columbus, Museum of Art, 1984, p. 26). Across his artistic career, the artist continually experimented with the composition and space of his reclining figures, always pursuing new solutions. In Maquette for Reclining Figure, Moore showcases his masterful ability to distil the complexities of human existence into a sculptural form, that is both timeless and evocative.