Henry Moore, Reclining Figure No. 4, 1954-55
From the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History:
This expressive bronze, with its mottled green patina, is typical of his work from the 1940s and ’50s, and reflects his renewed interest in surface texture and solid form following a period of making abstract sculptures that often contained large openings and stringed portions. Capturing the physicality of the human body without succumbing to exacting realism, Moore exaggerates the woman’s relaxed pose and the shape and relative sizes of her limbs, head, and torso. The drapery cascading over her thighs recalls a recent trip to Greece, where the artist was inspired by classical sculpture. Here, as in those ancient sculptures, the woman’s head and long neck are held regally, her features abbreviated into a generalized mask.
