Henry Moore Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Henry
Moore

Henry Moore's prints, echoing the essence of his abstract sculptures inspired by bones and stones, exhibit captivating negative spaces, organic forms and fluid, dynamic lines. If you’re looking for original Henry Moore prints and editions for sale or would like to sell, request a complimentary valuation and browse our network’s most in-demand works.

Biography

Henry Spencer Moore was an English artist, one of the most significant and innovative sculptors of the 20th century, and a key proponent of the Modernist art movement. Born on July 30, 1898, in Castleford, Yorkshire, Moore is best known for his abstract and semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures, located around the world, largely as public works of art. His work bridged the gap between traditional figurative sculpture and the emerging abstract movements of European modernism, making him an important and influential figure in the world of modern art.

Henry Moore's Artistic Education: Leeds School of Art and the Royal College of Art

Moore was the seventh of eight children born to Raymond Spencer Moore, a coal miner, and his wife, Mary Baker. Despite his humble beginnings, Moore's artistic talent was evident from an early age. He was encouraged by his art teacher at Castleford Grammar School, and by the age of 16, he was determined to become a sculptor. After serving in the British Army during World War I, Moore won a scholarship to study at the Leeds School of Art in 1919.

In 1921, Moore was awarded a scholarship to attend the prestigious Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. It was during this time that he was exposed to the works of European modernist sculptors such as Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brâncuși, and Alberto Giacometti. He was particularly inspired by the non-Western art he saw at the British Museum, including African and Mexican sculptures, which greatly influenced his art practice. Graduating from the RCA in 1924, Moore then received a travelling scholarship to study in Italy, where he was exposed to the works of the great Italian Renaissance sculptors Michelangelo, Donatello, and Lorenzo Ghiberti.

Returning to London in 1925, Moore began teaching at the RCA and later at the Chelsea School of Art. Throughout the 1930s, he became increasingly well known in the British art world, and his sculptures started to gain international recognition, with exhibitions in Europe and America. Moore's work shifted towards abstraction during this period, with an emphasis on the human figure and the relationship between the body and the landscape.

While best known for his large-scale, organic, hollowed-out sculptures, Moore produced works on paper, prints and paintings throughout his career, often as a process by which he realised the designs of his sculptures. These later, graphic works featured a range of subjects, which Moore created studies of as part of his sculptural process: common subjects and motifs included his own hands, reclining figures and the female body, animals, and mothers and children.
The origins of many of his most famous sculptures can be seen in Henry Moore's printmaking oeuvre: with prints such as Eight Sculpture Ideas (1980), Four Ideas For Sculpture (1982), and Ideas For Wood Sculpture (1973). Likewise, iconic sculptures such as Moore's 1969-70 Reclining Figure inspired later prints by Henry Moore, as he produced a print portfolio, titled Reclining Figures and comprised of six colour lithographs.
During World War II, Moore served as a war artist, creating drawings of people sheltering in the London Underground during the Blitz. These drawings are considered among his most poignant and powerful works. After the war, his reputation grew rapidly, and in 1948, he won the International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale.
Moore continued to create large-scale public sculptures throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Some of his most famous works such as Reclining Figure and Large Arch can be found in prominent locations around the world, from New York to Jerusalem. In 1963, Moore established the Henry Moore Foundation to promote the understanding and appreciation of sculpture and provide financial support to artists and institutions.
As Moore's fame grew, so did his wealth, and he used this to support various causes, including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Amnesty International. He was awarded numerous honours during his lifetime, including the Companion of Honour in 1955 and the Order of Merit in 1963.
Henry Moore continued to work until his death on August 31, 1986, in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. His artistic legacy lives on through his iconic sculptures, the Henry Moore Foundation, and the artists he inspired. His impact on the world of modern art is undeniable, as he transformed the meaning of sculpture and broadened the scope of public art.

Moore delved further into the concept of balance by exploring physical fragmentation in sculptures, exemplified in Large Four Piece Reclining Figure (1972-1973). This artwork presents the reclining figure in four distinct parts, offering multiple perspectives of each form. Close examination suggests that these pieces could potentially interlock if positioned in specific orientations, despite their fragmented nature. Through deliberate stacking and placement, Moore achieves a sense of harmony and balance within the composition. His artistic prowess lies in rendering the human form both uncanny and recognisable, blending elements of modernity, surrealism, and constructivism. Large Four Piece Reclining Figure achieved £6.3 million at Christie's in May 2017, highlighting its significance among Moore's most sought-after works.