The reclining figure is synonymous with Henry Moore’s art. His fascination with the motif first began in the 1920s and he returned to it throughout his life, elevating the theme to one of his most iconic and recognisable. The subject matter allowed for the artist freedom of artistic experimentation, taking a classical motif and shifting how it can be perceived. Depicted on a large scale, Moore’s 1957 ‘Reclining Figure’ is a fine example of the artist’s continued pre-occupation with the human figure.

For Moore, the figure was inextricably intertwined with nature, with one being undetachable from the other. In 1940, with his home in Hampstead being damaged by bombing, Moore moved to the village of Perry Green in Hertfordshire. There, he was fully surrounded by nature, with the undulating hills and vistas of the countryside having a decisive impact on his art. Moore was engaged with the process of collecting natural objects, displaying stones, fragments of bone, or shells next to his own sculptures. The influence of nature is clear in ‘Reclining Figure’ where the head is reminiscent of a seed.

Moore usually began his sculptural process with a plaster or clay model. Using these soft materials allowed him to experiment with form, shape and scale. Once satisfied, he would cast the sculpture in bronze either as a final work or as a maquette for a larger work. These maquettes allowed Moore to consider exact proportions, movement and details of the sculpture, before some were translated into large or even monumental works. ‘Reclining Figure’ is the last iteration of this form, having created a maquette earlier in 1957. During this period Moore was in great in demand, and created a number of public outdoor sculptures including ‘UNESCO Reclining Figure’.