Provenance

A gift from the artist to Gerald Cramer.

Gerald Cramer, Geneva. The distinguished publisher and dealer who collaborated with many of the leading artists of the twentieth century, including Henry Moore.

By descent to Patrick Cramer, Geneva. Patrick Cramer, son of Gerald Cramer, is the author of the catalogue raisonné of Henry Moore's prints.

Acquired directly from the above 

Exhibited

Henry Moore & Gerald Cramer: Twenty-Five Years of Art and Friendship, Sims Reed Gallery, November–December 2014.

Literature

Garrould, Ann (ed.). Henry Moore Complete Drawings 1950–1976, Vol. IV. Aldershot, 2003. p.165. AG 62.9; HMF 3076. Illustrated.

Henry Moore & Gerald Cramer: Twenty-Five Years of Art and Friendship. Exhibition catalogue, Sims Reed Gallery, London, 2014. Illustrated on the front cover and pp.24–25.

Condition

In very good condition. A small semicircular paper loss to the left margin, likely resulting from the artist removing the sheet from a sketchbook. This does not affect the composition.

Catalogue Note

Executed in 1962, Three Reclining Figures belongs to one of the most celebrated themes in Henry Moore's artistic career. The reclining figure occupied Moore's imagination for more than fifty years and became the defining subject through which he explored the relationship between the human body, landscape and sculpture.

Drawn with remarkable economy and confidence, the present work demonstrates Moore's mastery of line and wash. Fluid ink contours establish the essential forms of the figures, while delicate passages of watercolour introduce depth, volume and rhythm. Although highly simplified, the figures possess an extraordinary sense of monumentality, anticipating the sculptural language that made Moore one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.

Beyond its artistic importance, the drawing possesses exceptional provenance. It was presented by Moore as a personal gift to his close friend and publisher Gerald Cramer, whose collaborations with the artist resulted in some of the finest illustrated books and graphic editions of the post-war period. The dedication on the sheet transforms the work from an original drawing into a tangible record of one of the most significant artistic friendships of the era.

The drawing subsequently descended to Patrick Cramer, internationally recognised as the author of the catalogue raisonné of Henry Moore's prints, before being acquired directly by Fairhead Fine Art. Its impeccable provenance is further reinforced by its inclusion in Henry Moore Complete Drawings and by its selection as the cover illustration for the 2014 exhibition Henry Moore & Gerald Cramer: Twenty-Five Years of Art and Friendship at Sims Reed Gallery. As the exhibition's cover image and principal illustration, the work assumed a central role in celebrating the enduring friendship between artist and publisher.

Combining exceptional provenance, extensive publication history and direct personal association with one of Moore's closest collaborators, Three Reclining Figures represents a rare opportunity to acquire a unique original drawing that occupies an important place within the artist's mature oeuvre.