39 40 Henry Moore Henry Moore Draped Seated Woman 1957-58 Large Spindle Piece 1968-74 Bronze Bronze London Borough of Tower Hamlets Henry Moore Foundation

I became absorbed by the The Spindle series was originally problems of the draped figure… created for a special exhibition of Drapery played a very important Moore’s work that took place in part in the shelter drawings I 1968 in Hyde Park. Large Spindle made in 1940 and 1941 and Piece is greatly inspired by Moore’s what I began to learn then fascination with Michelangelo, which about its function as form gave had begun 40 years earlier. A Royal me the intention to use drapery Academy Scholarship had enabled in sculpture in a more realistic Moore to travel to Italy in 1925 where way. And my first visit to Greece he visited the Sistine Chapel and first in 1951 perhaps helped to saw Michelangelo’s depiction of God strengthen this intention. creating Man. Moore said of this Drapery can emphasise the theme and the Large Spindle Piece: tension in a section, that is, Sculpturally, it’s two points just show shape. It need not be just about to meet. This work is on a decorative addition, but can the same theme, only the two serve to stress the sculptural fingers are going out, not in. idea of the figure. The sculpture developed from a small Draped Seated Woman forms part flint with protruding points on either of a series of draped figures and side. Moore cast this in clay and then torsos that Moore made from the made a plaster maquette, from which mid to late fifties, when he was the bronze versions were produced. working on a major commission for a sculpture to be sited outside the UNESCO building in Paris. In these works, Moore uses drapery to emphasise the underlying form and suggest a sense of power and gravitas suitable for a public monument. 36