Henry Moore Works in Public
This is a guide to Moore's sculptures on public display throughout the world. We strive to ensure that all information is accurate, however we recommend that you contact each venue before making a visit. Please also contact us if you spot any mistakes. In some instances it has not been possible to source an image of the actual sculpture in-situ, and on such occasions an alternative image has been used.
Hamburg
Moorweide
bronze
length 221cm
The original inspiration for Reclining Figure: Hand came from some bits of flint and bone which Moore found on the grounds of his home in Hertfordshire. Previously a pig farm, Hoglands was a rich source of found objects. Moore constructed a maquette small enough to hold in the palm of his hand out of the flint and bone which he then worked in plasticine and cast in plaster. The result is a sculpture which both derives from organic material and ultimately relates to the land in a much broader sense. Moore explained:
In my reclining figures I have often made a sort of looming leg – the top leg in the sculpture projecting over the lower leg which gives a sense of thrust and power – as a large branch of a tree might move outwards from the main limb, or as a seaside cliff might overhang from below if you are on the beach.
Quoted in Moore in China, exhibition catalogue, The Henry Moore Foundation and The British Council, 2000, page 79