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| Moore decided to become
a sculptor by age eleven following years of drawing. He was also motivated
upon hearing Michelangelo described as “the greatest sculptor
in the world,” and was visually influenced by the landscape
of his childhood. Moore found inspiration in his contemporaries, such
as Brancusi’s love of nature and usage of simplified forms and
materials, as well as in the ancient non-Western sculpture, such as
the Chac-Mool
figures from pre-Colombian Mexico. The reclining figure held Moore’s interest for over half a century. The body - standing, sitting, lying down - offered countless possibilities for a career of artistic exploration. His monumental reclining figures build upon his love and understanding of the landscape, which provided Moore with both the subject of his work as well as the preferred setting for it. In the landscape Moore found parallels with the human form – the rise of mountains, for example, reading like the arch of a knee.  (For Grade 3) What does this sculpture look like to you? Why? What do you think this sculpture is made out of? How do you think it would feel if you touched it? Why? The artist, Henry Moore, really preferred to have his sculptures placed outside in a natural setting. Why do you think the artist used metal for this sculpture? What would happen if this sculpture was made out of paper or wood? The artist, Henry Moore, liked to show similarities between the body and nature. What can you find in nature that looks similar to this sculpture? |
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Henry Spencer Moore England, 1898-1986 Reclining Figure: Arch Leg Bronze, 1969 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norton S. Walbridge 1971:2 © San Diego Museum of Art |
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