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

Inspired by the birth of his daughter, Henry Moore drew numerous domestic scenes during the second half of the 1940s. Unlike his earlier drawings, they were not executed as preparatory studies for sculpture but as an end in themselves, as the artist explains: 'For my early sculptures, I made drawings which were fully realised from one point of view. However, for some years now I have not used a drawing directly for sculpture. I am a sculptor because I want to make the full reality of an object, so that it exists in itself, and I now work by making small models, or maquettes, which can be held in my hand and considered from every angle. As a result my drawing is no longer a handmaiden, a servant of my sculpture - it can follow an independent path. Drawing is still essential to me and an outlet for ideas not necessarily related to my sculpture' (see exhibition catalogue, Henry Moore Drawings 1969-1979, New York, Wildenstein & Co., 1979, p. 6).