Henry Moore

Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York

Jane Wade, Ltd., New York

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Kobacker, Ohio, acquired from the above in 1965 (sold: Parke-Bernet, New York, October 29, 1970, lot 32)

Jeffrey Loria, New York (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 15, 1989, lot 68)

Sale: Christie's, New York, November 12, 1997, lot 455

Sale: Christie's, New York, May 10, 2000, lot 624

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Alan Bowness & Herbert Read, eds., Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings, vol. 2, London, 1965, no. 312, illustrated pl. 42

John Hedgecoe & Henry Moore, Henry Moore, New York, 1968, fig. 1, illustration of another cast p. 178

Philip James, ed., Henry Moore on Sculpture, New York, 1971, no. 45,  illustration of another cast p. 140

Robert Melville, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, New York, 1971, no. 429, illustration of another cast

David Mitchinson, ed., Henry Moore Sculpture, New York, 1981, no. 222, illustration of another cast p. 114

Alan Bowness, ed., Henry Moore, Complete Sculpture, vol. 2, London, 1986, no. 312, illustration of another cast p. 39

Susan Compton, ed., Henry Moore, New York, 1988, no. 123, illustration of another cast p. 231

Excellent condition. It displays a mottled green patina with brown undertones that is in very good condition. No significant scratches or abrasions were observed on the surface. The sculpture is structurally sound.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Henry Moore proclaimed that he was obsessed with the theme of mothers and children.  From his earliest surviving work to his late, monumental sculptures, mothers and children figure prominently in his oeuvre.  Mother and Child on a Ladderback Rocking Chair is an especially poignant variation on the theme because it was inspired by Moore's daughter, Mary, who was born in 1947.  The present sculpture from 1952 is a later variant of series of small rocking chair sculptures Moore created in 1950 as toys for Mary.  He experimented with the curvature of the base and the distribution of weight so each chair rocked at a different pace.  In Mother and Child on a Ladderback Rocking Chair, the mother props the child on her knee so the two might exchange a tender gaze.  The triangular protrusion of the mother's chest underscores the bond between the two abstract figures.

In a 1960 interview with Donald Hall, Moore explained how he experimented with his technique for the present sculpture.  Instead of his typical method of modeling in plaster and then having a wax replica made for casting, here Moore created the forms in wax.  He told Hall, "Now, working direct in wax has many possibilities, since wax has a toughness about it that will allow you to do very thin forms – for example take that rocking chair sculpture of mine in which the back of the chair is in struts like a ladder, you couldn't make that construction in clay, nor in plaster, without awful trouble, whereas that was modeled directly in wax, easily and straightforwardly" (quoted in Philip James, ed., Henry Moore on Sculpture, New York, 1971, pp. 139-141).  The wax technique allowed Moore to give this sculpture a particular delicacy of form that enhances the intimacy of the scene.

According to the Henry Moore Foundation, the present sculpture was cast in an unmarked edition of nine, plus one artist's proof, by the Gaskin Foundry.