Henry Moore

The son of a Yorkshire mining engineer, Moore trained at the Leeds School of Art before serving in the First World War. He was gassed at Cambrai. He was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art and studied there between 1919 and 1923. He then joined the teaching staff before moving to Chelsea School of Art between 1932 and 1939.

He soon became one of Britain’s most important artists and had established an international reputation by the 1940’s. For example, between 1946 and 1947 he had one man shows in New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco and in Australia.

He won international sculpture prizes at the Venice Biennale (1948), in Sao Paolo (1953), Tokyo (1959), the Carnegie Institute (1958) and in Rome (1963). He was made a Companion of Honour in 1953 and awarded the Order of Merit in 1963.
He had numerous public commissions in Britain and abroad.

A sculptor of international standing, Moore was also an accomplished draughtsman. He began making prints in 1931 and his drawings of people sheltering in the London Underground during the Blitz are justifiably celebrated.

As a printmaker, he mastered both lithography and etching. His subject matter was very wide ranging and included relatively naturalistic studies of, for example, wildlife and children to work more reminiscent of his sculpture which, whilst evidently referring to the human figure, does not seek to replicate it. He felt the work should have a life of its own and contain its own energy, independent of the subject. His work was however firmly rooted in the careful observation of nature.

As might be expected with an internationally renowned artist, his work is held in major collections worldwide. Appreciation of Henry Moore’s work (and of the fine arts in general) is promoted by the Henry Moore Foundation. They hold a substantial collection of his prints as does the Tate Gallery.