Henry Moore, O.M., C.H. (1898-1986)

The present work is a maquette for the sculpture of the same title and date carved in green Hornton stone, now in the collection of Tate, London, and considered amongst Moore's greatest masterpieces. This carving was the first stone piece to be fully opened out and Moore wrote of this: 'the first hole made through a piece of stone is a revelation. The hole connects one side to the other, making it immediately more three-dimensional. A hole can itself have as much shape meaning as a solid mass. Sculpture in air is possible, where the stone contains only the hole, which is the intended and considered form. The mystery of the hole - the mysterious fascination of caves in the hillsides and cliffs' (see H. Moore, 'The Sculptor Speaks', The Listener, 1937, vol. XVIII, no. 449). Commissioned by the architect Serge Chermayeff, Moore was asked to create a sculpture to sit between Chermayeff’s garden and terrace in front of a vista of the Sussex Downs. Moore was compelled to enhance the horizontals of the view, with the figure lying across the terrace, gazing towards the horizon.

Born Heinrich Rosenbaum in Munich, 1907, Henry Roland studied art history in Berlin, Paris and Munich before moving to London in late 1929 after the American depression hit the German economy and subsequently the German art market. Known to his close friends as Heinz, Roland met Gustav Delbanco in London, eventually generating enough money together to rent an office space in Piccadilly, where the pair specialised in Old Master paintings and drawings. A renowned expert in Old Masters with a keen eye for quality, Roland believed strongly in supporting and fostering contemporary art, and founded a firm alongside Delbanco and Lillian Browse in 1945 situated on Cork Street, where the three stayed until 1977. The company promoted a diverse range of artists in whom the three dealers truly believed, such as Matthew Smith, Henry Moore, Victor Pasmore and Graham Sutherland. Roland’s private collection also reflected his conviction in certain artists. In particular his collection boasted integral pieces by Rodin, Maillol and Moore, as well as German artists such as Nolde, Macke, Feininger and Schmidt-Rottluff.