In a great range of postures, poses and forms, the human figure is at the heart of Henry Moore's oeuvre. The artist began to explore the reclining human figure in his carved wood or stone sculptures, the so-called "Carvings" as early as in the 1920s. An example of this is "Reclining Figure" from 1929 (stone, Leeds Museums and Galleries). Until his death in 1986, the motif recurred in many of his astonishingly diverse sculptures and drawings, making it one of the most important themes of his entire artistic oeuvre: "There are three recurring themes in my work: 'Mother and Child', the 'Reclining Figure' and 'Inner and Outer Forms'. In some figures two or even all three themes are combined" (Henry Moore, in ex. cat: Henry Moore. Ursprung und Vollendung, Munich 1996, p. 12) In some works, the artist combines the "Reclining Figure" with the mother-and-child theme, for example in "Draped Reclining Mother and Baby" (1983, bronze, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles). The diverse variations demonstrate the extraordinary spatial and compositional freedom that Moore explores in the "Reclining Figures", allowing him to develop ever new forms on the same subject. "There are three basic poses for the human figure: standing, sitting and reclining. [..] Between [the seated or reclining figure] there are enough variations to keep a sculptor busy all his life. [..] Of the three positions, however, the reclining one offers the greatest freedom in terms of composition and space. [..] It is free and stable at the same time. It fits in with my conviction that sculpture should be something permanent, something made for eternity." (Henry Moore, quoted from: ex. cat. Henry Moore. Ursprung und Vollendung, Munich 1996, p. 71)
In their forms, but also in their vitality and intensity, Henry Moore's works combine elements from landscape and nature. On the one hand, the artist describes his ability to humanize nature, that is to discover the human figure in landscape, but also in organic things, in stones, shells and driftwood. On the other hand, Moore breathes a certain feeling of nature and landscape into his figures: Their at times quite massive torsos resemble tree trunks or boulders and the monumental outdoor sculptures, with their rounded limbs, are often reminiscent of the gently rolling hills (cf. exhib. "Vitality: The Human Landscapes of Henry Moore", 2023, Henry Moore Foundation, Perry Green).
The vitality inherent in the sculptures, as in the present work, is partly a result of the figure's dynamic pose. Leaning on her left arm, her weight shifted to the left, both legs bent and gazing into the distance, the reclining figure does not appear like a passive observer, instead her modern formal language and upright posture convey attention, self-confidence and activity. [CH]