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Three Standing Figures

Drawing
1948 (made)
Artist/Maker
Moore, Henry Spencer (artist)
Place of origin
Britain (made)

The sculptor Henry Moore made over seven thousand drawings in the course of his working life. These included fully independent, large-scale compositions such as this enigmatic work. Moore was interested in the range of effects that could be achieved with drawing media. Here he used wax crayon to create areas that resisted the watercolour paint he then added, resulting in a grainy, textured surface.

Object details

Category
Drawings
Object type
Drawing
TitleThree Standing Figures (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, wax crayon, coloured crayon, watercolour wash, pen and ink, gouache
Pencil
Wax Crayon
Watercolour
Pen and Ink
Gouache
Drawn
Brief description
'Three Standing Figures' drawing in chalk and watercolour by Henry Moore, 1948.
Physical description
Three robed figures are depicted in the centre of the drawing. A wall is on their right hand side. Another wall is in the foreground of the picture on the right hand side.
Dimensions
  • Height: 49.5cm
  • Width: 62.9cm
Style
British
Marks and inscriptions
Moore / 48 (Signed and dated lower left)
Object history
This drawing was No. 25 in the Exhibition of Drawings and Maquettes 1928-1948 by Henry Moore at Messrs. Roland, Browse and Delbanco's gallery, October 1948.
Subject depicted
Figure, Human
Summary
The sculptor Henry Moore made over seven thousand drawings in the course of his working life. These included fully independent, large-scale compositions such as this enigmatic work. Moore was interested in the range of effects that could be achieved with drawing media. Here he used wax crayon to create areas that resisted the watercolour paint he then added, resulting in a grainy, textured surface.
Bibliographic references
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters and Methods since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 160-161, fig. 129
  • Bennet, Anita Feldman, Henry Moore and the Challenge of Architecture, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire : Henry Moore Foundation, 2005 no.054 Henry Moore and the challenge of architecture Leeds, Henry Moore Foundation, 2005. 32p. ill (chiefly col.).
  • Alan Wilkinson, The Drawings of Henry Moore (London: The Tate Gallery, 1977), p. 63, cat. 53
  • Ann Garould (ed.), Henry Moore: Complete Drawings, vol. 3, cat. AG 48.11; HMF 2484
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
P.53-1948

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Record createdDecember 28, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O130533/three-standing-figures-drawing-moore-henry-spencer/
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