Large Reclining Figure

Large Reclining Figure is a monumental 1983 sculpture by the renowned British artist Henry Moore. Carved from a single block of Travertine marble, the work is a quintessential example of Moore's lifelong exploration of the reclining female form, abstracted into flowing, organic shapes that suggest both landscape and body. The sculpture was commissioned for the forecourt of the Tate Britain gallery in London, where it has become a significant landmark in the museum's collection and in the city's public art landscape. Its creation marked a late-career triumph for Moore, synthesizing his iconic themes with the grandeur of classical stone carving.

Description

The sculpture is an abstract representation of a reclining female figure, measuring approximately nine meters in length. Moore manipulates the form, creating a dynamic interplay of convex and concave shapes, with a large hollow space piercing the center of the torso. The surface of the Travertine retains a textured, fossil-like quality, contrasting with the smooth, polished curves that define the figure's limbs and head. The composition evokes natural forms such as rolling hills, eroded cliffs, and ancient bones, aligning with Moore's interest in Primitivism and the art of Pre-Columbian cultures. The work's scale and simplified, monumental forms invite viewers to move around it, experiencing shifting perspectives and relationships between solid and void.

History and creation

The commission originated from the Tate Gallery's trustees in the late 1970s, specifically for a prominent outdoor site at the museum's Millbank building. Moore, then in his eighties and internationally celebrated for works like *King and Queen*, accepted the challenge of working on a monumental scale in stone, a material he had largely set aside for bronze in preceding decades. The block of Travertine, sourced from Italy, was shipped to Moore's studio in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire. Assisted by a team of skilled carvers including John Farnham, Moore oversaw the eighteen-month carving process, producing a full-scale plaster maquette to guide the work. The completed sculpture was unveiled at Tate Britain in 1983, a gift from the artist and the Henry Moore Foundation.

Location and display

Since its installation, *Large Reclining Figure* has occupied a central position on the lawn fronting the Tate Britain on Millbank, overlooking the River Thames. Its placement creates a deliberate dialogue with the neoclassical architecture of the gallery, designed by Sydney R. J. Smith, and with the broader artistic context of London. The work is a key part of the Tate's outdoor sculpture collection, which also includes pieces by artists such as Barbara Hepworth and Auguste Rodin. Its permanent outdoor siting subjects the sculpture to the weathering effects of the London climate, which gradually alters the coloration and surface of the Travertine, a process Moore anticipated and accepted as part of the work's life.

Critical reception and legacy

Upon its unveiling, the sculpture was greeted as a powerful summation of Moore's artistic career, reinforcing his status as Britain's foremost modernist sculptor alongside contemporaries like Jacob Epstein. Critics noted its successful integration of humanist themes with abstract, universal form, though some later commentary within movements like Postmodernism reassessed his dominance. It has since become one of Moore's most recognizable public works, instrumental in defining the identity of Tate Britain. The sculpture's influence is seen in the public art of subsequent generations, including the work of Anthony Caro and Anish Kapoor. It remains a pivotal example of how 20th-century art engaged with monumentality and public space.

Related works

*Large Reclining Figure* is a direct descendant of Moore's earlier reclining figures, such as the 1938 *Reclining Figure* in elm wood and the 1957-58 UNESCO *Reclining Figure* in travertine. It relates thematically to his series of Sheep Piece sculptures and the monumental *Reclining Figure: Arch Leg* (1969-70) at the Henry Moore Foundation. Within the broader art historical context, it dialogues with the reclining nudes of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Pablo Picasso, as well as the ancient fertility figures like the Venus of Willendorf and the monolithic statues of Easter Island. Other significant public reclining figures in the United Kingdom include Antony Gormley's *The Angel of the North* and works in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Category:Sculptures by Henry Moore Category:1983 sculptures Category:Art in London Category:Tate