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.
Iwaki
Iwaki City Art Museum
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 id 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.
David Mitchinson et al, Moore in China, exhibition catalogue, The Henry Moore Foundation and The British Council, 2000, page 79