About Henry Moore - Famous British Sculptor

The Life of Henry Moore

From the website of the Henry Moore Foundation

Henry Moore Foundation

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography - Introduction

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was not simply a well-known sculptor: the fame and reputation he accrued during the course of a very long career mark him out as an extraordinary cultural phenomenon, symptomatic of the condition of the arts during the 20th century. His life, ranging from a childhood spent within the confines of a northern mining town to success as an international celebrity courted by the rich and famous, is sketched out in this section.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1898 -1925

Henry Spencer Moore was born on the 30th of July 1898 in the small coal mining town of Castleford, Yorkshire. His father worked with his hands as a miner - but was also an intelligent man.

At the age of eighteen in 1917 Moore was enlisted in the Civil Service Rifles, 15th London Regiment. Shortly afterwards he was sent to France, where he and his regiment took part in the battle of Cambrai. Here he suffered a gas attack and was sent back to spend two months in hospital. After recovering, he became an Army Physical Training Instructor. Moore had served his king and country honourably for two years: He returned home, a mature and responsible man of twenty and took his life into his own hands.

1898 Henry Spencer Moore born at Castleford, Yorkshire on 30 July.
1902-10 Attended elementary school in Castleford.
1910 Won scholarship to Castleford Secondary (later Grammar) School.
1915 Received Cambridge Leaving Certificate; trained as an elementary school teacher by practicing in local schools
1917 Enlisted in the Civil Service Rifles, 15th London Regiment.
1918 returned to active service a short time before Armistice Day.
1920 Sculpture department set up at Leeds College of Art.
1921 Won scholarship to the Royal College of Art, London.
1924 Accepted appointment as instructor at the RCA Sculpture School.
1925 journeyed around Europe.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1926 - 1935

Provides an account of Moore's early development as a sculptor, the source of his influences. the artists he mixed with in the early years, his marriage and studio in Hampstead and his appointment as Head of scultpure at the Chelsea School of Art

The year 1928 marks a major turning point in Moore's career, his remarkable talent was finally being recognized and he received his first public commission to produce a relief for Charles Holden's new London Transport headquarters above St James's Park Underground Station.

1926 Exhibited in a group show at St George's Gallery, London.
1928 First one-man exhibition at the Warren Gallery, London.
1929 Married Irina Radetsky.
1930 exhibited in the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
1931 Second one-man exhibition at the Leicester Galleries, London.
1932 Became first head of sculpture at Chelsea School of Art.
1933 Exhibition at the Leicester Galleries, London.
1935 Exhibition at the Zwemmer Gallery, London.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1936 - 1945

A change of fortune and home for Henry Moore. The outbreak of war disrupted the inventive continuity of this supremely productive period. The Blitz also had a direct impact on the Moores when their Hampstead home was damaged by a nearby bomb in October 1940 and they decided to move out of London, renting half of an old farmhouse named Hoglands in the small hamlet of Perry Green in Hertfordshire, forty kilometres north of the capital. - including a move from a bombed out studio in Hampstead to Hoglands in Perry Green

1938 Took part in the International Exhibition of Abstract Art at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
1940 Moved from London to Perry Green, Hertfordshire.
1941 Appointed an Official War Artist.
1942 Appointed to the Art Panel of the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts.
1943 First one-man exhibition abroad, at Buchholz Gallery, New York.
1945 Created Honorary Doctor of Literature, University of Leeds.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1946 - 1955

On the 7 March 1946 Irina gave birth to Moore's first and only child, who was named Mary after his mother and sister. The addition of a daughter to the Hoglands scene renewed his interest in the mother and child theme as well as family groups.

He also becomes a revered sculptor with associated honours and exhibitions.

1946 Birth of the Moores' only child, Mary.
1947 Travelling exhibition commencing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
1948 Appointed member of the Royal Fine Arts Commission (1948-71).
1951 First retrospective at the Tate Gallery.
1953 Installation of Draped Reclining Figure and Time/Life Screen in Bond Street, London.
1955 Appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1956 - 1972

More honours for Moore. From 1949 to 1956 he was a Trustee of the Tate Gallery, London, and of the National Gallery, London from 1955 to 1974. He took International Sculpture Prizes at the 24th Venice Biennale in 1948 and at the 2nd Sao Paulo Biennale in 1953. The award of Companion of Honour in 1955, the Order of Merit in 1963, and the Erasmus Prize in 1968 are just a few from a list of over seventy accolades he gained from over a dozen countries.

1957 Awarded prize at the Carnegie International, Pittsburg.
1958 Installation of Reclining Figure outside the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris..
1960 Exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
1961 Exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.
1963 Invested with the insignia of a Member of the Order of Merit (Civil Division).
1964 Appointed member of the Arts Council of Great Britain.
1965 Visited New York for installation of Reclining Figure at the Lincoln Center.
1967 Received Honorary Doctorate, Royal College of Art, London.
1971 Elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
1972 Opening by HRH The Princess Margaret of retrospective exhibition at Forte di Belvedere, Florence.

Henry Moore Foundation - Biography 1973 - 1986

In 1972 Moore, with Mary's help, established the Henry Moore Trust, which was administered by the Tate Gallery. The idea was to prevent his estate from being broken up and his collection dispersed to pay death duties. The Henry Moore Foundation was registered as a company in April 1976 and as a charity under English law in June the same year..........

1974 Henry Moore Sculpture Centre opened at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
1976 Exhibition of war drawings at the Imperial War Museum, London.
1977 Inauguration of the Henry Moore Foundation at Much Hadham.
1978 Eightieth birthday exhibitions at the Tate Gallery, the Serpentine Gallery, London, Bradford.
1982 The Henry Moore Sculpture Gallery and Centre for the Study of Sculpture opened by HM The Queen.
1983 Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
1984 President Mitterand visited Moore in Much Hadham.
1986 Died at Perry Green, Hertfordshire on 31 August.

Henry Moore died at the age of eighty-eight on the 31st of August 1986 and the press, which had been so hard on him in his early years as a sculptor, now praised his great achievements. Since the death of Sir Winston Churchill, Henry Moore has been the most internationally acclaimed of Englishmen, honoured by every civilized country in the world, declared the Daily Telegraph (31 August 1986)

More about Moore

Guggenheim Collection - Biography of Henry Moore

Biography for Henry Moore
b. 1898, Castleford, Yorkshire, England; d. 1986, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, England

BBC NEWS | UK | Profile: Henry Moore

Henry Moore, whose sculpture of a reclining figure has been stolen, is the UK's most famous sculptor.

BBC - Plaque for sculptor Henry Moore

Celebrated British sculptor Henry Moore is honoured with a blue plaque at his former studio in north-west London.

BBC - Radio 4 Woman's Hour -Hoglands -  a tour of Henry Moore's house

Mary Moore, daughter of sculptor Henry Moore, remembers her childhood home

Hoglands was the home of sculptor Henry Moore and his wife, Irina, in which they lived for over 40 years. The Henry Moore Foundation has restored the house and last Friday opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Henry Moore - official websites

The Henry Moore Foundation

The Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity, set-up and generously endowed by Mr Moore in 1977 'to advance the education of the public by the promotion of their appreciation of the fine arts and in particular the works of Henry Moore'.

The Foundation operates from two main sites - Perry Green in rural Hertfordshire, and the Henry Moore Institute in central Leeds.

Henry Moore Foundation - Henry Moore Institute in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds curates the sculpture collection of Leeds Museums and Galleries and houses an archive and library. Temporary exhibitions, talks and seminars are held in the Institute, and in Leeds City Art Gallery.

Henry Moore Foundation - at Perry Green

The Henry Moore Foundation is an arts charity established by the artist in 1977 to promote sculpture in general and Henry Moore's work in particular. The Foundation's large collection of work is exhibited in Perry Green and around the world.

Henry Moore Foundation - Hoglands

In 1940, after their home at 7 Mall Studios in London had been damaged in the blitz, Henry and Irina Moore moved to Perry Green. They initially rented half of 'Hoglands', a former farmhouse in the centre of the hamlet, 27 miles north of London. By raising funds from the sale of a 1939 elmwood Reclining Figure - for £300 to artist Gordon Onslow Ford - they were soon able to buy the whole house.

The Moores lived in Hoglands for the rest of their lives, and gradually acquired extra land and buildings surrounding the house. In 1977 Moore set up the Henry Moore Foundation and today the seventy acre estate, together with studios, barn and gallery, can be viewed by appointment.

Henry Moore Foundation - Hoglands restoration

Hoglands is the former home of Henry Moore

The house and its immediate surroundings remained in the possession of the Moore family until 2004, when they were acquired by the Foundation. Following an eighteen month period of building work which ended in November 2006, many of the original contents have been re-installed to allow visitors the opportunity of seeing the ground floor of the house and the adjacent etching studio as they would have looked about 1970, when Moore's reputation was at its height and his art collection at its most complete.

Henry Moore Foundation - Visitor Season at Perry Green

For those wishing to learn more about Henry Moore, the annual visitors' season at Perry Green, where he lived and worked for much of his life, offers a privileged insight into the working practices and prodigious output of the artist.

Visits are made by appointment. Follow the links on the left to book your place.

Henry Moore Foundation - Visitor Season at Perry Green

For those wishing to learn more about Henry Moore, the annual visitors' season at Perry Green, where he lived and worked for much of his life, offers a privileged insight into the working practices and prodigious output of the artist.

Visits are made by appointment. Follow the links on the left to book your place.

Henry Moore in Art Museums and Galleries

National Gallery of Art - Henry Moore

Exhibition brochure on Henry Moore, a modern English sculptor

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of the twentieth century's great sculptors. First emerging from the relative obscurity of the radical modernist movement in England in the 1920s, Moore quickly established himself as one of Britain's leading young artists. In 1946 his sculpture was presented in a one-man exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Two years later, he won the prestigious International Prize at the Venice Biennale. After 1950, with the sponsorship of the British Council (an organization promoting British cultural values), Moore executed large-scale public projects throughout the Western world. At the time of his death, Moore was a formidable cultural presence whose work had become synonymous with modern sculpture.

National Gallery of Art - Henry Moore

National gallery of Art - Images

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Henry Moore exhibition

A collection of images taken from the exhibition Henry Moore: War and Utility at the Imperial War Museum in London.

BBC NEWS | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Moore's work on display

New displays of artwork produced by renowned sculptor Henry Moore are exhibited. (2003)

BBC - Henry Moore and the Challenge of Architecture

This year marks a major new exhibition in the grounds and studios of sculptor Henry Moore.

National Portrait Gallery | What's on? | Bern Schwartz: Portraits of the 1970s

Bern Schwartz: Portraits of the 1970s 10 July 2008 - 4 January 2009
Room 33
In association with the Bernard Lee Schwartz Foundation

Photographs include one of Henry Moore in his studio

Henry Moore - online galleries and art history sites

Artcyclopedia: Henry Moore Online

Henry Moore [British Abstract Sculptor, 1898-1986] Guide to pictures of works by Henry Moore in art museum sites and image archives worldwide.

Artchive - Henry Moore

Artchive - Henry Moore images and biography

Home - Henry Moore - Modern Abstract, Organic Sculpture

This site is a tribute to Henry Moore, the modern sculpture artist specializing in abstractions and organic shapes.

Henry Moore Drawings

BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Art and Design | AO2 - Analyse and Evaluate | The Shelter Drawings by Henry Moore

Group of draped figures in a shelter, 1941
Henry Moore;
The Henry Moore Foundation
This image must not be reproduced or altered without prior consent from the Henry Moore Foundation
image: a sketch of a group of draped figures in a London shelter by Henry Moore

BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Art and Design | AO2 - Analyse and Evaluate | Henry Moore's draped figures

Study for Row of Sleepers, 1941
Henry Moore
The Henry Moore Foundation
This image must not be reproduced or altered without prior consent from the Henry Moore Foundation
image: Henry Moore's Study for Row of Sleepers, 1941

Henry Moore at Hoglands, Perry Green

The Henry Moore Foundation - Major new book: Prints and Portfolios

The Henry Moore Foundation is an arts charity established by the artist in 1977 to promote sculpture in general and Henry Moore's work in particular. The Foundation's large collection of work is exhibited in Perry Green and around the world and an extensive grants programme supports the work of livi

Henry Moore at Kew Gardens

15 September 2007-30 March 2008

Henry Moore At Kew

Moore at Kew - 15 September 2007-30 March 2008

This was a landmark exhibition of monumental works by the internationally acclaimed sculptor Henry Moore Monumental sculpture in a World Heritage setting.

Twenty-eight outdoor sculptures were sited within Kew's unique World Heritage landscape, making this the first exhibition of its kind ever to be held in London.

Major temporary displays of outdoor sculpture are rare. The last exhibition of Moore's open-air sculpture in the UK was held at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1987, a year after the artist's death.

EXPLORE: Sculpture Map

Moore at Kew(15 September 2007 - 30 March 2008)

Explore Sculpture Map

EXPLORE: large reclining figure [Henry Moore @ Kew]

LH 192b
Fibreglass

EXPLORE: Large Upright Internal/External Form [Henry Moore @ Kew]

LH 297a
Bronze

Henry Moore at Kew: Photo Showcase

Moore at Kew
During the course of the exhibition we had over 2,500 images entered in the Photo Showcase. The best 20 images were chosen in Autumn, Winter and Spring, and from those 60 images we have now chosen our overall top 20, presented here in random order.

Henry Moore at Tate Britain

Tate Britain 24 February - 8 August 2010

TATE BRITAIN : Henry Moore Tate Britain 24 February - 8 August 2010

Henry Moore
Tate Britain 24 February - 8 August 2010
Radical, experimental and avant-garde, Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of Britain's greatest artists. This stunning exhibition takes a fresh look at his work and legacy, presenting over 150 stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronzes and drawings.

website lists a number of talsk, discussions and study days

Tate Britain - Henry Moore in the Tate Collection

Henry Moore OM, CH
1898-1986

The Observer - Henry Moore at Tate Britain

He was one of the biggest names of the 20th century, but the Tate's fresh look at the work of Henry Moore does little for his reputation, writes Laura Cumming

The Guardian - Exhibition reveals Henry Moore as 'darker, edgier than we realise'

Curator says first major exhibition devoted to British artist since 1988 will show that there is more to him than his female figures

The Guardian - Henry Moore at Tate Britain

Curvy, feminine, ubiquitous - Henry Moore's work has become part of the British landscape. Adrian Searle discovers the artist's darker side in a new show

The Guardian - Re-visiting Henry Moore's sexual side

Maybe he's become so familiar that Moore is something of an "invisible man", but the new retrospective has prompted discussion about the sexual nature of his work.

The Guardian Editorial - In praise of%u2026 Henry Moore 23 Feb 2010:

Editorial: A new exhibition at Tate Britain reveals the great sculptor in darker, and deeper relief

Making a Mark: Henry Moore at Tate Britain

I always quite liked Henry Moore sculptures until I went to the exhibition of his work at ~Kew Gardens in 2007/8 which I thought was simply fabulous. I became a convert. I can't talk about sculpture though in the same way as I attempt to talk about drawings and paintings - so this is a post which is biased towards information about the latest exhibition of Henry Moore's work in London.

Henry Moore at Hatfield House

23 April - 30 September 2011

The Henry Moore Foundation - Moore at Hatfield:

Anita Feldman, currently Curator at The Henry Moore Foundation, and its Head of Collections and Exhibitions from 1 April, said today: 'We are delighted to be working on an exhibition of Moore's outdoor sculpture for Hatfield House's 2011 Visitor Season. The gardens will be a wonderful location for Moore's work, and we hope the sculptures will be enjoyed in their formal and woodland settings by visitors throughout the summer.'

Henry Moore in the BBC Archives

HENRY MOORE AT THE BBC | Exploring the art of a modern day master

Over the years, the BBC has charted the long and distinguished career of Henry Moore, one of Britain's most renowned sculptors. In this collection of rarely seen interviews and documentaries, Moore himself talks about the ideas that inform his work and demonstrates his techniques and materials. Meanwhile, those who knew him recall the man behind the art.

This collection was created to complement the Henry Moore retrospective at Tate Britain and has been made possible by collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation. Some of the artwork in these programmes is being shown by courtesy of the Henry Moore Family Collection.

Tate Britain - Intorduction to BBC Archives

Henry Moore in the BBC Archives

Henry Moore's remarkable success in his own lifetime gave him an unusual presence in popular culture. The many television and radio programmes which featured Moore allow us to witness his changing awareness of his practice and influences. BBC producer John Read made six programmes with the sculptor over 30 years, and it is the growing intimacy of these films which provides the greatest insight into Moore's sense of his own place in the artistic canon.

This selection of clips has been taken from the BBC Archive

Tate Britain / BBC Archive clips: Henry Moore 1951

This programme is the first of six programmes that John Read made about Henry Moore, and is the first documentary film about about a living artist made for British television.

Researching Henry Moore

Henry Moore Foundation

Elmwood library is situated at the Foundation's headquarters in Perry Green and is the world's premier resource for Henry Moore studies, providing a large range of published and manuscript material from the early twentieth century to the present and covering every aspect of the artist's life.

Henry Moore Foundation - letters archive

Moore kept up a lively, sometimes prolific correspondence with family, friends, fellow artists and business associates throughout his long career

Henry Moore Foundation - Image Archive

Be sure to check out the copyright permission BEFORE checking the images.

Henry Moore Foundation - Authentication

How to find out if a work is by Henry Moore

The sculpture which influenced Henry Moore

Chac Mool - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chac-Mool is the name given to a type of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican stone statue.

The Chac-Mool depicts a human figure in a position of reclining with the head up and turned to one side, holding a tray over the stomach. The meaning of the position or the statue itself remains unknown.

Chac-Mool statues are found in or around temples in Toltec and other post-Classic central Mexican sites, and in post-Classic Maya civilization sites with heavy Toltec influence, such as Chichen Itza.

Reviews of Henry Moore's work

Sculpture.org

July/August 2001 - Vol.20 No.6
The Enigma of Henry Moore by Brian McAvera

The first U.S. retrospective of the work of Henry Moore in nearly 20 years opened at the Dallas Museum of Art this spring. The exhibition will travel to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, later this year. "Henry Moore: Sculpting the 20th Century" examines Moore's contribution to 20th-century sculpture through 207 works spanning the entirety of his 60-year career. It places special emphasis on his early works, exploring his role as a carver and his dialogue with Surrealism and early abstract art, as well as his impact on popular notions of sculpture in public places.............

Guardian - The Moore Legacy

The only child of sculptor Henry Moore, Mary Moore gives a rare interview to Elizabeth Day on the eve of an exhibition of works never before seen in public

The Guardian (23.2.10.) Henry Moore: Smooth operator

Curvy, feminine, ubiquitous - Henry Moore's work has become part of the British landscape. Adrian Searle discovers the artist's darker side in a new show

The Guardian (27.2.10) | The turbulent reputation of Henry Moore

When Henry Moore's sculptures were first displayed, they were so shocking opponents decapitated them and daubed them with paint. A retrospective at Tate Britain explores the impulses that led to these controversial works. It is a magnificent rehabilitation, says Hilary Spurling

The Observer (28.2.10.) | Henry Moore at Tate Britain

He was one of the biggest names of the 20th century, but the Tate's fresh look at the work of Henry Moore does little for his reputation, writes Laura Cumming

The Guardian (February 2010) | Slideshow - Henry Moore: a monument to British Art

A look at the life of Henry Moore, whose curvaceous, modernist sculptures created a new British bronze age

Henry Moore's working habits

DISCOVER: Moore at Work [Henry Moore at Kew]

Moore at Kew
These photographs, although taken at different times, give an insight into Moore's working process. Starting with sketches or found objects, he worked up progressively larger sculptures until he was satisfied. Only some of his sculptures escalated to the monumental versions you can see at Kew.

If you're interested in sculpture by British artists - check out....

Antony Gormley - Resources for Art Lovers

This lens is about Antony Gormley - the man who produced'Angel of the North' - a towering sculpture in Gateshead'Another Place' - figures on the sand at Crosby Beach,'Event Horizon' - figures on the rooftops of London buildings and'Field' - a room filled with small clay figures.

Andy Goldsworthy - Resources for Art Lovers

Find out about Andy Goldsworthy - the British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist who produces site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings.This site shares information about- the art of Andy Goldworthy

Articles about Henry Moore

Tate Magazine Issue 6: Henry Moore

Henry Moore's global fame cast a huge shadow over a generation of younger British sculptors. Chris Turner examines the Oedipal reaction which ensued.

The Guardian - The Moore legacy - an interview with Mary Moore, his daughter (2008)

The only child of sculptor Henry Moore, Mary Moore gives a rare interview to Elizabeth Day on the eve of an exhibition of works never before seen in public

Making A Mark on Moore

blog posts about Henry Moore

Making a Mark: Henry Moore at Tate Britain

Henry Moore's smaller pieces and drawings are now the major exhibition at Tate Britain in 2010 - Henry Moore which is on display until 8th August.

The Art of the Landscape: The BBC, Henry Moore and A Sculptor's Landscape

This is a link to a BBC Archive film about Henry Moore's work shown amid the natural landscape that inspired him.

Travels with a Sketchbook in.......: Sketching in a barn at Hoglands

Yesterday I spent a delightful few hours at Hoglands - the former home of Henry Moore, probably the most celebrated UK sculptor of the twentieth century. I was at preview of a new exhibition there and also taking a look at what the Perry Green part of the Henry Moore Foundation has to offer people wanting to visit.

Travels with a Sketchbook in.......: Henry Moore in Kew Gardens

...otherwise known as monumental sculpture in a world heritage setting!

At the end of October last year, we visited Kew Gardens on a sunny afternoon in order to get a lot of a fresh air, see the trees on the turn, walk a lot, sketch a bit and view some of the very many works by Henry Moore which are currently dotted around the Gardens until the end of March.