Henry Moore OM, CH

This sculpture was enlarged from a smaller version, part of which, the 'thin neck' of the title, was inspired by the breast bone of a bird. Moore wrote 'Since my student days I have liked the shape of bones and have drawn them, studied them in the Natural History Museum, found them on seashores and saved them out of the stewpot. There are many structural and sculptural principles to be learnt from bones, e.g. that inspite of their lightness they have great strength'. Moore stated that the thin head and neck in this work 'by contrast with the width and bulk of the body, give more monumentality to the work.'

Gallery label, August 2004

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