Henry Moore | Mother and Child

The theme Mother and Child has been a constant preoccupation throughout the work of Henry Moore and has appeared in many guises in both his sculpture and graphic work. Although these etchings have been based on drawings made since 1975, they are drawn in ways that reflect the artist’s attitudes to style and methods of working throughout his life. For example, Plates IV, XVIII and XX relate to the seated figure sculptures of the 1950s such as King and Queen, whilst Plate VII is typical of the reclining mother and child sculptures of the 1970s, and again Plates IX, XV, XVI, XXI and XXIX are reminiscent of the drawings of figures in interiors of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

 

It has been my privilege to work with the artist on many of his prints and throughout this period I have been shown that what may sometimes appear to be a casual mark or line is in fact the result of intense thought, years of experience and observation. Some of the etchings in this portfolio have been refined a couple of times, others are the outcome of an immediate decision but all come together to present us with an album which may be considered a culmination of this theme in his graphic work.

 

The artist’s death in 1986 meant that he was unable to see this album published, but he followed the progress of the printing with keen enjoyment and looked forward to the signing of each edition.