Henry Moore Complete Sculpture

Incorporating the latest research on Moore's work, the revised edition of this sixth and final volume of the official Henry Moore catalogue covers the last period of the sculptor's working life.

Henry Moore (1898-1986) is arguably one of the most famous and beloved sculptors of the twentieth century, yet in recent decades his work has fallen out of favor in the world of contemporary art criticism. This handsome book examines this intriguing contradiction and seeks to reassess Moore's crucial contribution to art of the last century. Looking at Moore's early engagements with primitivism, his 1930s dialogue with abstraction and surrealism, and his postwar interest in large-scale public sculpture, the authors show how the sculptor helped to define some of the most significant aspects of modernism. The authors also contextualize within the polemics of early modernism Moore's emphasis on direct carving instead of modeling and the necessary balance between abstraction and what he called the "psychological human element". Moore's early sculpture -- largely unfamiliar to the general public -- is given particular attention, enabling the reader to explore the evolution of thematic and formal elements in his work and his ongoing response to different materials. Photographs, some by Moore himself, of over 120 works, including plasters, maquettes, carvings, bronzes, and drawings, are featured, many of which are previously unpublished.

"For both admirers and students of Henry Moore's work, this book will be a blessing. Moore's humanity and intelligence make this compendium a plea-sure to dip into as well as scholarly and comprehensive."--Roger Berthoud, author of The Life of Henry Moore "Alan Wilkinson has trawled the rich material with exemplary thoroughness.... The nature and purpose of Moore's writing is illuminated. The introduction reflects Wilkinson's long friendship with Moore, and the commentary and notes testify to a remarkable knowledge of the artist's work, his circle and his ideas."--Sir Alan Bowness, editor of the Henry Moore Complete Sculpture Series