Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Henry Moore
Fjord by Henry Moore drawing of Scottish landscape for W.H. Auden poetry book

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 8/25 lower left in pencil. Printed in inky black, Fjord features a close-up view of the water as it meets the shore. Yorkshire is famous for its rocky coastline, where fishing villages cling to cliffs, windswept abbeys peak above the skyline, and sand beaches attract families on vacation. Moore’s scene is dark and even sinister – the shore’s narrow inlets reaching into the water like gnarled fingers. Fjord 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, and even drew on his memories of viewing the Altamira cave paintings, recalling how some of the images used the shadow of candlelight on the rough surface of the rock to model light. Shortly before starting work on this series of lithographs, Moore had fallen ill, leaving him aware of his own mortality. His mood pervaded these prints with a sense of danger and foreboding. Fjord 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 industrial nature and 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, no. 75 David Mitchinson Henry Moore Prints and Portfolios. Patrick Cramer, Geneva 2010 no. 260, illustrated p. 202 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:
  • 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: LU1211213090832
More From This SellerView All
  • The Departure of the Argonaut by Francesco Clemente Alberto Sauvinio (portfolio)
    By Francesco Clemente
    Located in New York, NY
    The Departure of the Argonaut (1918) is the travelogue and wartime diary of Alberto Savinio, one of the seminal figures in twentieth-century Italian arts and letters. Clemente's acco...
    Category

    1980s Abstract Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • The Departure of the Argonaut (book)
    By Francesco Clemente
    Located in New York, NY
    The Departure of the Argonaut (1918) is the travelogue and wartime diary of Alberto Savinio, one of the seminal figures in twentieth-century Italian arts and letters. Clemente's acco...
    Category

    1980s Abstract Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Clemente Untitled B: surreal mythical landscape, voyage with ocean, Venus, snake
    By Francesco Clemente
    Located in New York, NY
    A black and white, large-scale surreal mythical landscape of an ocean voyage, with a snake wrapped around a clock, a ship, Venus sculpture, greek ur...
    Category

    1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Clemente Untitled A: surreal mythical landscape, voyage with ocean and animals
    By Francesco Clemente
    Located in New York, NY
    A black and white, large-scale surreal mythical landscape of an ocean voyage, with a snake wrapped around a clock, female figure, greek urns, and an...
    Category

    1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Rainbow: colorful Rosenquist pop art with gold, turquoise, purple, pink, blue
    By James Rosenquist
    Located in New York, NY
    A classic Rosenquist pop art composition with gold, turquoise, purple, pink, blue, green and yellow. Characteristically surreal and graphic, Rainbow incorporates bold geometric forms with painterly washes of color and airbrush texture. Rosenquist's signature gleaming metallic chrome texture can be seen on an inverted fork behind the glass of a golden window. Paper 25.25 x 30.25 in. / 64 x 77 cm Image 17 x 21.5 in. / 43 x 54.5 cm Lithograph with screenprint on cream-coloured Hodgkinson handmade Wookey Hole paper. Edition of 75 with 8 color trial proofs: this impression 8/8. Signed and dated 1972 lower right in pencil; titled, numbered 8/8 and labeled Color Trial Proof lower left in pencil. This graphic, colorful scene is based on Rosenquist’s 1962 oil painting of the same name, collected in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. The artist used real glass and wood to construct windows for the original painting – here, house siding is abstracted to bold, black horizontal lines, and the window glass is printed in dark gold ink. At the top of the composition, a window with shutters pushed open is colored in turquoise, with sharp black shadows. The left-hand window pane is shattered, and to the right, the outline of an oversized...
    Category

    1970s Pop Art Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph, Screen

  • Vintage David Hockney Poster Miami New World Festival of Arts 1982 palm trees
    By David Hockney
    Located in New York, NY
    This vintage David Hockney poster features whimsical imagery and rich, bright color. Palm trees, boats in the ocean, a cafe, and a bodega with an elaborate iron-wrought balcony sit a...
    Category

    1980s Realist Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

You May Also Like
  • Maurice de Vlaminck - House in Rueil - Original Lithograph
    By Maurice de Vlaminck
    Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
    Maurice de Vlaminck Original Lithograph Signed in the plate 1958 Title: House in Beauce Dimensions: 22 x 27 cm Reference: Catalogue raisonné Walterskirchen 275 Condition : Excellent Maurice de Vlaminck (1876 - 1958) Maurice was three years old when his family moved from Paris to Vésinet. He first pursued the same musical career as his parents, who were both musicians, leaving his home as a trained double-bass player in 1892 to move to Chatou near Versailles. After absolving his military service in Vitré Maurice Vlaminck worked as a musician until he accidentally met André Derain in 1900. It was Derain who kindled Vlaminck's artistic ambitions. He decided to become a painter and rented an old hut in which he and Derain shared a studio. A crucial turning point in Vlaminck's artistic development was a visit to a van Gogh exhibition...
    Category

    1950s Impressionist Landscape Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Islamic Tower - Original Lithograph by Gustavo Francalancia - 1970s
    By Gustavo Francalancia
    Located in Roma, IT
    Hand signed and numbered by artist with pencil. Edition of 25 prints in Roman Numerals plus artist's proof. Very good conditions.
    Category

    1970s Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Royal Palace in Genoa - Lithograph - 19th Century
    Located in Roma, IT
    Royal Palace in Genoa is a lithograph on paper realized in the 19th Century. The artwork is represented in a well-balanced composition with strong strokes. Very good condition.
    Category

    19th Century Modern Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Geneva, Rue De L'Hôtel De Ville - Lithograph by A. Fontanesi - 1854
    By Antonio Fontanesi
    Located in Roma, IT
    Image dimensions: 20.5 x 15 cm. This splendid lithograph Interieur de Geneve. Rue De L'Hôtel De Ville is part of the series of 20 prints dedicated to views of the city of Geneva, en...
    Category

    1850s Naturalistic Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Landscape of the River - Original Lithograph by Jean Chapin - Early 1900
    By Jean Chapin
    Located in Roma, IT
    Landscape of the River is an original lithograph realized by Jean Chapin in the XX century. Signature stamp of the artist on the lower left margin. Image dimension: 25 x 43 cm. ...
    Category

    Early 20th Century Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • The River - Original Lithograph by Ampelio Tettamanti - 1960
    Located in Roma, IT
    Beautiful colored lithograph, representing a marine landscape. Numbered and hand-signed with pencil on the lower margin by the Italian artist, Ampelio Tettamanti. Edition of 90 print...
    Category

    1960s Landscape Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All