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HENRY MOORE
(English, 1898-1986)

Reclining Figure: Angles, 1979
Bronze
Gift of Sara Shallenberger Brown in memory of W. L. Lyons Brown 1981.21

Henry Moore, the English sculptor, depicted images of the reclining figure many times. In this work Moore studied the angles created by the human form. The arms bend and the legs fold to form angles and reveal openings to look through.

Moore’s sculpture has been likened to landscape. The textures in this bronze seem to refer to natural processes. In the torso, the scraped surface appears as if it might have been carved out by glaciers. And in the chest and shoulder area, one might imagine that raindrops streamed down the surface, leaving water streaks. The figure is weighty and monumental, but alert, its tiny head facing away from its enormous body.