Accession Number1968/1.98
TitleStringed Reclining Figure
Artist(s)Henry MooreArtist NationalityBritish (modern)Object Creation Date1939Medium & Supportbronze and string on wood baseDimensions 4 11/16 x 12 5/16 x 3 11/16 in. (11.9 x 31.2 x 9.3 cm);4 11/16 x 12 5/16 x 3 11/16 in. (11.9 x 31.2 x 9.3 cm);4 x 10 7/8 x 2 3/8 in. (10.1 x 27.5 x 6 cm);3/4 x 12 5/16 x 3 11/16 in. (1.8 x 31.2 x 9.3 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Florence L. StolLabel copyMarch 28, 2009
Moore described himself as being “obsessed” with the reclining figure; he estimated that half of the figures he made since his first in 1924 were recumbent. This particular example dates from a period between 1937 and 1939 when Moore, inspired by mathematical models he saw at London’s Science Museum, experimented with the incorporation of string into his sculpture. The threading of the strings through a central bridge in this fascinating piece calls to mind the form and construction of a stringed instrument, which was a common metaphor for the female body in early twentieth-century modern art, most notably in the paintings of Picasso.
Subject matterShows Henry Moore's interest in biomorphic abstraction and the human figure. The melodic and lyrical elements of the form are suggested by the strings running from torso to hip evoking a stringed instrument.
Physical DescriptionAbstracted human figure reclining on its side. Eight strings resembling the strings of a harp extend from the chest area to the hip.
Primary Object Classification Sculpture Primary Object Typeabstract sculptureAdditional Object Classification(s)SculptureCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
abstraction
bronzes (visual works)
figures (representations)
modern and contemporary art
reclining
stringed instruments (musical instruments)
