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Henry MooreTwo Heads by Henry Moore abstract black and white figure portrait Auden1973
1973
About the Item
One of a series of 18 lithographs drawn by the artist for the Auden Poems/Moore Lithographs 1974 book and portfolio. This work is from an edition of 25 printed on vellum aside from the portfolio (edition of 75) and the book.. Signed by the artist lower right in pencil; numbered lower left in pencil.
Two Heads depicts two figures from the chest up, drawn loosely and abstracted. The critic John Russell has written that ‘the image of a whole population on the move in the Auden series is one of the most powerful that Moore ever produced.’ This print displays Moore’s fascination with light and dark – what he called a “…bias towards the blackness and mysterious depths.” Moore was inspired by the prints of Rembrandt and the drawings of Seurat: light emerging from darkness.
Two Heads is one of a group of lithographs presented with the work of poet W.H. Auden (1907-1973). Not conceived as illustrations, Moore wanted his landscape and figure works to stand alone, complementing or contrasting with Auden’s poetry. He and Auden were both from Yorkshire, and the dark landscapes that Moore produced for the project evoke the rugged moors of the area.
The Auden/Moore limited edition book and portfolio were exhibited on publication at the British Museum, London, with an accompanying catalogue.
Catalogue reference: Auden Poems/Moore Lithographs, with essay by John Russell, British Museum Publications, London 1974
David Mitchinson Henry Moore Prints and Portfolios. Patrick Cramer, Geneva 2010
Copies of this lithograph are in the collections of Tate, London; British Museum, London; British Council, London; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas; Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago; British Council, London; LACMA, Los Angeles; Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
- Creator:Henry Moore (1898 - 1986, British)
- Creation Year:1973
- Dimensions:Height: 25.25 in (64.14 cm)Width: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:This print is not previously owned and has been stored in the archives of the original publisher since its publication.
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU121125930672
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English artist. He is best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures, which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced many drawings, including a series depicting Londoners sheltering from the Blitz during the Second World War, along with other prints and graphic works on paper.
His forms are usually abstractions of the human figure, typically depicting mother-and-child or reclining figures. Moore's works are usually suggestive of the female body, apart from a phase in the 1950s when he sculpted family groups. His forms are generally pierced or contain hollow spaces. Many interpreters liken the undulating form of his reclining figures to the landscape and hills of his Yorkshire birthplace.
Moore became well known through his carved marble and larger-scale abstract cast bronze sculptures, and was instrumental in introducing a particular form of modernism to the United Kingdom. His ability in later life to fulfil large-scale commissions made him exceptionally wealthy. Despite this, he lived frugally; most of the money he earned went toward endowing the Henry Moore Foundation, which continues to support education and promotion of the arts.
Find original Henry Moore art on 1stDibs.
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