Henry Moore

Galerie Beyeler, Basel (acquired from the artist in 1982)
James Goodman Gallery
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1984

Alan Bowness, ed., Henry Moore, Sculpture 1980-86, vol. VI, London, 1999, no. 827, illustration of another cast p. 43

Very good condition. Bronze, mottled dark brown-green patina. There is a thin, horizontal scratch along the side of the base, behind the figure' head. There are tiny, isolated losses to the patina on the surface of the base behind and to the left of the figure, and the figure's patina is slightly rubbed in small areas -- none of this affects the overall appearance of the sculpture, which is clean and in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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The subject of the reclining figure, explored in Reclining Figure: Pointed Head, is probably the single most iconic image of Henry Moore's oeuvre. Initially inspired by Mexican and Classical sculpture, the subject of the reclining figure recurs throughout the artist's career, ranging from organic forms to near-abstract, geometric ones, and including several monumental versions. Writing about Moore's sculptures, David Sylvester commented: "They are made to look as if they themselves had been shaped by nature's energy. They seem to be weathered, eroded, tunneled-into by the action of wind and water. The first time Moore published his thoughts about art, he wrote that the sculpture which moved him most gave out 'something of the energy and power of great mountains' [...] Moore's reclining figures are not supine; they prop themselves up, are potentially active. Hence the affinity with river-gods; the idea is not simply that of a body subjected to the flow of nature's forces but of one in which those forces are harnessed" (David Sylvester, Henry Moore, New York & London, 1968, p. 5).

In the present work, the figure is leaning back, supported by one hand, legs apart with slightly bent knees. This positioning recalls a similar pose found in the Parthenon figure known as Dionysus (fig. 1), which Moore would have encountered on his trips to the British Museum. Moore's discovery of Classicism, due to his visits to Greece and the British Museum, affected his interpretation of the reclining figure. Moore addresses the reason for his interest in the Greek sculpture of Dionysus: "The sculptor who did this had a thorough understanding of the human figure, and shows so realistically the difference between the slackness of the flesh and the hardness of the bone beneath it... This piece always attracted me, perhaps because of my interest in reclining figures" (quoted in David Finn, Henry Moore at the British Museum, New York, 1981, p. 60). In explaining Moore's attraction to the reclining figure, David Sylvester writes, "When he was teaching in art schools he used to encourage his students to start a life-drawing of a standing figure with the feet and work upwards. It was essential that the figure should be firmly grounded. For him, gravity comes first, and however much he may erode the mass, weight is his point of departure. A figure close to the ground gives him that" (David Sylvester, Henry Moore, New York & London, 1968, p. 5).

Fig. 1 Reclining figure of Dionysus, 5th century B.C., marble relief from the Parthenon East Pediment, British Museum, London