Henry Moore

by David Mitchinson

This book presents the major sculptures of Henry Moore over sixty years of his highly productive life as an artist. The works chosen range from intimate figures less than 20 centimetres high to monumental pieces six metres long, from those hand-carved in stone or wood to those modeled and then cast in bronze and lead. They thus represent the whole spectrum of the work of this great sculptor, tracing his development of ideas - most notably through the themes of the reclining figure and the mother and child. David Mitchinson, Curator of the Henry Moore Foundation, describes Moore's early life, the influences upon him and the emergence of his distinctive style. The story is continued by Julian Stallabrass, who explains Moore's increasing popularity after the Second World War. Despite public controversy over some of the more disquieting pieces, Moore's work had become acceptable to a wide audience by the mid-1950s, and by the end of the decade his standing as a foremost figure in world art was beyond doubt. Throughout his life Moore photographed his own work, as well as the natural objects found near his home which provided inspiration for many of his works. Most of the photographs in this book were taken by the artist.

Genres: Art

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today, in the 21st century, sculpture would not be what it is today had it not been for a handful of very innovative 20th century sculptors who had influenced modern sculpture. Henry Moore's sculptures are presently on display in museums and sculpture parks throughout the world. Most art historians throughout the world agree that Henry Moore (1898 - 1986) had been one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century.
In this book, Chris Stephens concentrates on Henry Moore's works from the 1920's through the 1960's.
This book was published in 2010. This book also includes statements by a number of modern artists in which they describe how Henry Moore had been one of the influences on their styles.
The color photos of Henry Moore's sculptures which are included in this book are all quite impressive.
I wouldn't be surprised if professors at art colleges and universities do sometimes use this book as one of the books which they include in the syllabi for sculpture courses that they teach, but this book is fully comprehensible to laypersons. You don't need to possess an advanced knowledge of 20th century art movements, modern art or sculpture to appreciate this book
If you're interested in modern art movements and 20th century sculptors, or if you enjoy touring modern art museums and sculptors gardens, you will enjoy this book.

[hh · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good series of essays on moore, including historical, biographical, and contextual responses, that are not opaque to the non-specialist. the real treasure is, of course, the catalog of his sculptures and drawings.