Henry Moore’s Old Flo and Canary Wharf Who was Henry Moore? What was his inspiration? Why was Old Flo Other public art to in east London? see in Canary Wharf One of east London’s most famous residents is back – and on Henry Moore display in Canary A great artist’s life She’s Wharf, Tower Hamlets Henry Moore is one of Britain’s most famous artists and his sculptures now back! sell for millions of pounds 1 Early days Although this sculpture’s name is Draped Seated Henry Moore was born in 1898, in Castleford in Woman, most local people Yorkshire. He loved art but his father, a coal miner, Henry Moore, in 1928, working on West Wind for London Underground’s new headquarters know her as Old Flo. thought it would be difficult to earn a living as an artist. So, he encouraged his son to become a Created by Henry Moore, she schoolteacher. Moore really didn’t like it! hard and finished the two-year drawing course Aged 18, Moore joined the army to fight in in just one year. is world-famous and has had World War One. Many colleagues and friends lost Moore went on to further studies at the Royal a really interesting life. This their lives. Moore himself was injured in a gas College of Art in London and soon became known book tells the story of: attack in 1917. When the war ended, he applied as a modern, daring sculptor. In 1928, he was asked • What inspired Henry Moore for a grant to go to Leeds School of Art. He to create carved stonework for the exterior of the was accepted in 1919 and could finally follow his new London Underground headquarters. It was his to create her childhood dream of becoming an artist. He worked first paid commission and you can still see it today. • Where she was first displayed and what people thought 3 International fame • How she went to Yorkshire… and stayed for 20 years Shortly after World War Two, some of Moore’s sculptures • And much, much more! were shown in America and Italy – they created huge interest. Before long, he was one of the world’s most famous artists. Today, his works can be In 1943, Henry Moore was asked by a news found in most major cities. team to re-enact how he discovered people Moore died in 1986, aged 88, using tube stations as bomb shelters at his home in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. Visitors there can 2 Growing fame... see his studio as he left it, and Henry Moore in his studio and war admire many of his works in a in 1970. Beside him is the beautiful countryside setting. huge skull of an elephant In 1928, Moore met Irina Radetsky – a year later, they married. Meanwhile, his Moore’s art reputation as an influential and challenging artist Henry Moore’s most famous continued to grow, right up sculptures depict human bodies, to the point when World especially those of women. War Two broke out in 1939. These artworks don’t reproduce In 1940, Moore discovered the human form exactly but use Reclining Figure, 1959-64, made from elm wood Londoners were using tube shapes that suggest it. This is stations as emergency often referred to as abstract art. his work. He once explained, Here at Canary Wharf, we on loan from Tower Hamlets bomb shelters. His drawings Moore took inspiration from “The hole connects one side to of families sheltering near the world around him, from such the other, making it immediately are proud to display Draped Council – we are looking after train tracks were very objects as stones, twigs, bones more three-dimensional. A Seated Woman for all to see. her until 2022. Please come powerful and furthered his and skulls. He is also known for hole can itself have as much This important sculpture is and visit her again and again! reputation as an artist. the “holes” or empty spaces in shape meaning as a solid mass.” 2 Henry Moore’s Old Flo and Canary Wharf Henry Moore’s Old Flo and Canary Wharf 3 Why bronze? From Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin. This makes it strong but not brittle, so it doesn’t break easily. sketch to Also, bronze doesn’t rust, so sculptures still look impressive after hundreds of years. Finally, bronze sculpture expands just before it sets, pushing into every area of the Draped Seated Woman mould. This ensures every How Henry Moore created in Canary Wharf on a last detail is captured. Draped Seated Woman cold winter’s day Step 1 – Drawing Step 4 – Full-sized Early in his career, Moore drew It was time to make a full-sized rough sketches before starting version – it measured over 2m Londoners using a tube a sculpture. They helped him tall. This was also built around an station in 1940 to shelter think how an artwork might armature, though one now made from a bombing raid look. These sketches (right) are from wood and wire. It was from 1953 to 1956. They show covered in scrim, a bandage-like Moore is considering a seated material coated in dried plaster. figure. They are unusual as, by This required wetting before Where did the this time, Moore had stopped being put in position. Further making sketches and would Henry Moore considers a new sculpture; plaster was spread with a trowel. instead work immediately on a Figure Studies (1953-56) Moore applied finishing touches idea come from? maquette (see Step 2). with chisels, files and sandpaper. In September 1940, returned repeatedly to observe Step 2 – Maquette Step 5 – Finished during World War Two, the sheltering Londoners, and work in bronze away. It was now a complete drew many more scenes. Artists often make a small model sculpture... but not yet finished. British cities were The works of art, known as of a sculpture before starting a In 1958, the full-sized model was bombed almost daily. This The Shelter Drawings, were very full-sized artwork. This is known sent to a specialist foundry in Moore explained why: “I like time was known as the popular. They demonstrated how as a maquette. In 1956, Moore Paris. Their task was to use the working on all my bronzes Londoners were defiant in the made a maquette of a seated full-sized model to create a small after they come back Blitz. London faced huge face of the bombing raids. figure by creating an internal number of bronze casts, through damage and loss of life Do the poses of those wire frame and then applying a process called lost-wax casting. from the foundry.” sheltering families and the way layer after layer of plaster. As First, a wax copy was made of He applied chemicals to get One night, Henry Moore and their clothes wrap their bodies the plaster dried, he moulded it the full-sized model. This was exactly the right colour and finish his wife were returning home seem familiar? These elements into the desired shape. Finally, then repeatedly coated with a on the surface (known as the by London Underground. They can also be seen in Draped when the plaster had set, he used sand-like substance known as patina). Moore felt it was only found the platform packed Seated Woman – even though his tools to add details to the face slurry, until there was a good, when he had got the patina right with men, women and children, Moore didn’t start sculpting her and other parts of the figure. This thick coating all over the wax. that the sculpture was complete. sheltering from air raids above. for another 16 years. maquette is about 15cm wide. Next, the slurry-covered model Families were huddled together, was placed in a very hot kiln. The wrapped up to keep warm. high temperatures hardened the When he got home, Moore Moore said: “I have Step 3 – Working model slurry. At the same time, the wax drew the scene from memory. never seen so many melted and drained away through Over the following nights, he When Moore was happy with a special openings. All that was left reclining figures… maquette, he would create a slightly was a hard, empty shell in the Children, fast asleep, larger working model. This was also shape of Draped Seated Woman. with the trains roaring made from plaster but was built Due to the large size of this past only a couple of over a stronger wire frame, known sculpture, the next stage was as an armature. At this stage, Moore carried out in sections. To cast a yards away” changed small details such as the section, very hot, liquid bronze folds of the clothes and positions was poured into one part of the of the arms, until it was exactly hard shell, and left to cool. as he wanted. He also liked to When the bronze had set, the photograph the working model shell was broken away to reveal with sky or trees in the background. the moulding. All the bronze Henry Moore makes adjustments to the Henry Moore visits a foundry to inspect Shelter Scene: Two Seated Figures It helped him visualise what the pieces were welded together working model of Draped Seated Woman the cast of one of his sculptures (1941) by Henry Moore full-sized sculpture would look like. and any visible joins smoothed 4 Henry Moore’s Old Flo and Canary Wharf Henry Moore’s Old Flo and Canary Wharf 5 Art Lucky London! London still displays some of the Draped Seated for the Woman works of art purchased by the LCC.