Henry Moore (1898-1986)

Pointed Torso has origins with one of Moore's most successful abstract forms that the sculptor explored in Three Points (1939-1940). The highly charged, sexual tension of the three spindles converging, beautifully evolved almost thirty years later into the complex and organic works Pointed Torso , Oval with Points (1968-1970) and Large Spindle Piece (1974).


While the title of the present work indicates that it is purely representative of the human form, the several of the elements are quite closely related to Two Piece Points: Skull, also from 1969, the inspiration for which was quite different. Christa Lichtenstern remarked that "in 1968 Moore received an elephant's skull as a gift from Juliette Huxley. Elephants were seen as bearers of wisdom not only in the iconic tradition contemporary art, but also literally if you look at them 'down to the bone.' Moore was able to use this skull to further his study of bones which he had been making with untiring enthusiasm for thirty-five years. This opened up new insights for him into the depths of an invisible "architecture" in which every detail is in harmony with the whole" (quoted in The Henry Moore Foundation, Celebrating Moore, London, 1998, pp. 292-293).


The outreaching four points on the front of the torso provide a dynamic tension to the voluptuous shape of the exterior, resulting in a successful and simplistic harmony. The reflection of the polished bronze, a patina not commonly found in Moore's oeuvre, further enhances the subtle sensuality of the form.