Henry Moore United Kingdom, 1898-1986

Henry Moore was one of the most influential British sculptors of the twentieth century and a major figure in the development of modern sculpture. Born in Yorkshire, he studied at the Leeds School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art in London. His early work was influenced by ancient and non-Western sculpture, as well as by the modernist experiments of artists such as Picasso and Brancusi. Moore became particularly known for his reclining figures, which he transformed into monumental arrangements of organic forms and openings. The relationship between solid mass and empty space became a defining element of his sculpture. He worked primarily in stone and bronze, creating both intimate pieces and monumental works for public spaces. During the Second World War, his drawings of people sheltering in the London Underground brought him international attention. His later sculptures became increasingly monumental and were installed in major collections and landscapes around the world. Moore's synthesis of abstraction, human form and natural inspiration established a lasting model for modern sculpture.